


Honor Roll Liberty: Other Alternatives to Necromancy

by LadyScribe_12



Series: Honor Roll Liberty [1]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Asexual Uchiha Sasuke, F/M, Gen, Haruno Mebune adopts 3 orphans and refuses to negotiate on family dinner, Hatake!Sakura, Kakashi Mebune doesn't care that you're technically in charge, Kakashi adopts Sakura and her family, Kakashi is out maneuvered by two 12 year olds, Local Mom adopts decorated shinobi back, M/M, Naruto and Sasuke meet young, Naruto kidnaps Sasuke into friendship, Other, Sakura is getting a supportive family and I shan't hear anything against it., Sakura is not a fangirl for long, Sasuke gets a personality overhaul the hard way, Sasuke is Asexual, Serious!Sakura, Shan't, Will not hear anything about him not being her son, You are still required to listen to your mom, ace!sasuke, anime typical violence, mostly by acting like a cute stray cat made of sunshine., she's going to have a wakeup call and take shit seriously, with rabid genjutsu and mind fuckery that shan't be explained.
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-05
Updated: 2020-03-31
Packaged: 2020-07-31 12:49:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 14
Words: 44,007
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20115373
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyScribe_12/pseuds/LadyScribe_12
Summary: Uchiha Itachi does more damage to Sasuke's mind with his newly acquired mangekyou sharingan than intended when someone interferes with his attempt to manipulate his young brother.Sasuke's mind is not what it once was. He is not whoever he was before the massacre, because he has no memory of a time Before it.This is Sasuke without Avenging, this is how things could have been.





	1. Falling Apart in a Crowed Room

At first, all they could hear was screaming.

It didn’t register for several long minutes that They were doing the screaming. Then the pain filtered in-

‘_My head, why does my head HURT_. **I don’t know what happened**…_I can’t_…**why can’t I**…AHHHH’

And so it went for several days. Disjointed and half their thoughts drifting in between splitting headaches and screaming nightmares. But slowly, slowly there was progress. There were quiet moments where a logical mind tried to grab the reins. It failed and failed again. But it continued to try.

‘**HELP**…_OKA-SAN_…**Itachi?...**_Ni-san why??WHY???..._**This can’t be real…’**

It tried to halt the maddening swirl of hurt and anger.

‘**No. I can’t be here**…_He killed them, he killed THEM_…**We need to hide**… Make it stop!’

It tried desperately to grab thoughts, emotions, shreds of memory as two trapped minds bowed under the weight of torture. Both falling without end. Only one could maintain control and the strain of fighting against their now shared burden was killing them both.

‘**I can’t stop him, run!**..._He-why? Ni-san, WHY_?....** Ignore what the traitor said**…_He killed them!_…**yes, they’re dead. I’m sorry. Please stop. **Stay together’

Again and again they tried to surface from the pain and madness where they were held. It was taking too long they were losing things there in the dark. They were each losing themselves bit by bit. The smaller one, younger one, was fading.

‘**I can’t remember, I-we-we’ve lost pieces**?..._I don’t want to remember_… **I know. But you can’t destroy everything, please stop**..._it hurts, make it stop_…**Kid? Don’t give up, I can fix this!** **We can fix it! Sasuke…Sasu-**’

Through pain they fell into madness, seeking some asylum inside themselves. Not expecting their minds to touch, to intertwine in the absence of sanity. However this forcible meeting of the minds came about, it gave them strength. The logical mind was rent asunder by the sheer grief and agony from its counterpart. Were they equal in strength, both might have been lost, but Logic held those scraps together tightly. Stitching both into patchy whole. Some would have to be better than none.

“-suke? Sasuke? Can you hear me?” Came a voice, a voice _far_ too close to sensitive ear.

“unh” a small form grunts in confusion and no small amount of pain while laying prone on a hospital bed. The boy-girl-person?...child? tries to roll away from the sound. The movement is an abrupt, uncoordinated effort. The child’s shoulder twitches and their head lolls away from the voice.

“He’s awake! Go tell the Sandaime, quickly, he might fall unconscious again soon.” There’s more noise, sharp and sudden. It hurts as much as the shouting.

‘No shouting, please no shouting’ is all the small child can think. Their thoughts are foggy and slow yet. Only able to process the volume not the words. As the noise continues the thought ‘Make it stop’ forms. For a reason the child cannot fully articulate it is that thought which shocks them to full, painful and panic filled consciousness.

Their sharp inhale and jerking half rise from the bed prompts the voice to turn back to them.

Eyes wide open, but unseeing they struggle into a sitting position. Clinging desperate to the arms offered by a blonde haired man. He was the voice from before, now speaking in a much more soothing tone. Compelled as a father to comfort an upset child more than as the shinobi he was trained to be. It was clear the boy was traumatized, but the shinobi knew he had to complete his mission. They needed whatever information Sasuke could remember about the accident that had hospitalized him for these last 2 weeks. It could wait no longer.

‘_Ino..ichi?_’

Sasuke was trying desperately to orient himself mentally. This room felt familiar and not, just like the way Inoichi felt like a stranger and yet like someone Sasuke knew he could trust. That deep-seated feeling had no memories or emotions attached to it. It was as if something deep within the young child had simply checked a box in his brain. The knowledge was there as soon as Sasuke had needed it. It was convenient as it was unnerving. Unbidden came forth more knowledge…brains did not work like this…memories are usually tied to your senses and experiences…some- ‘_STOP IT!_” The thought trailed off and the roar quieted again.

‘_That is not normal, I think something has happened to me. Something bad. Inoichi wouldn’t be involved otherwise._’

Sasuke, still buried in Inoichi’s shoulder looked up at the door that was slowly opening. Somehow, the boy knew he did not want to see the person coming through the door. Sasuke tensed as an older man walked through the door. He looked like he had been fighting. He was all bandaged up and held a cane in his hand. Sasuke knew this man. Sasuke Knew that his battered appearance is a sham. Somehow, he knows that this man was a danger to himself, that the man must not be allowed to reach him and Inoichi.

But Sasuke’s voice is paralyzed in his chest. He cannot make the words come out. The black-haired man represents everything that has gone wrong somehow and if-IF he reaches Sasuke things will only get worse.

‘_I have to warn them, I have to warn everyone. Speak why can’t I speak??!_’

A hand drops to Sasuke’s shoulder, the panic spike’s again. Another face in his. A face with a mask and grey hair and one visible eye. A face that can help. That will listen. Sasuke tries again, but no sound will come forth. As he glances back the black-haired man is closer and Inoichi is gone… ‘_No, this is all my fault._’

Sasuke feels the hand on his shoulder sliding away and faces the masked man again reaching out for the hand that’s already fading away. Sasuke lunges forward to grab it. And with a rush “The Roots! The Roots will take their eyes!” The grey-haired man has turned into a terrifying familiar face, both his eyes now visible. They’re red. Blood red. Lines of menacing black. “AHHHH-

~~~~~~~~~~~SCENE CHANGE~~~~~~~~~~~

“—Hhhhhh *pant**pant*”

Sasuke jolts upright again, this time in his own living room. He’s out of breath and he’s eyes hurt. But he is safe, in the empty compound where he lives. There are no men reaching out for him and he is alone.

“Fuck, I hate that dream.”

It wasn’t always the same dream, but this one always seemed so real. Though the bandaged man had not been there the day Sasuke had first woken, he haunted Sasuke’s dreams. Sasuke knew the dream was trying to tell or remind him of something, but he just couldn’t remember. Not that not-remembering was new to him. Sasuke hadn’t remembered his own name waking up.

The condition had not improved with the last 8 months either. While some names and faces had come to him easily, Inoichi and the masked man from his dream, others had not. Sasuke had not been able to name his own attacker or the shinobi who had tried and failed to protect him during the massacre.

Inoichi had taken him on as a patient after realizing the extent of the mental damage Sasuke had been dealt. The Yamanaka were a young clan, but had a corner on the market when it came to psychology. Apparently, that’s how the whole shinobi portion had come to be anyway. Yamanaka Inoichi being the first head of his clan and, in peace times, the lead psychiatrist in Konoha.

Regular visits to the small Yamanaka Compound/clinic had helped Sasuke get his bearings somewhat. He’d still gotten lost a lot the first few months. But it hadn’t happened recently, so Sasuke was just quietly relieved that his brain still worked. Maybe not functioning at 100%, but he didn’t have any trouble learning new things. Inoichi had encouraged his curiosity about anything related to Konoha or the shinobi arts.

Sasuke was a little suspicious about how enthusiastically everything shinobi was thrown at him. It’d be easier if they just explained -Why- it was so important he become a shinobi. No one Sasuke had talked to seemed interested in telling him that part.

And after the whole council had had a fit at Sasuke being fostered by -any- clan let alone the Yamanaka, Sasuke wasn’t inclined to just go along with what they wanted either. Especially not after they’d attempted to remove him from the only connection, he had to his past immediately after the whole “We couldn’t possibly favor one clan over another with your upkeep Sasuke-kun. The one’s left out would be horribly insulted and a civilian couldn’t guarantee your safety.”

That’s how he’d wound up living in the Uchiha Compound by himself. Any other child might have been warped in the living here on their own. The sight of the most horrendous massacre in Konoha history or their young lives really.

Sasuke had adapted to it remarkably well. Everything he needed to know about living alone had just been there in his head. Seemingly waiting for him to need the information. Sasuke had discovered in the first week that he knew how to cook for himself, tidy up, and the basic tenants of hygiene that seemed to escape most boys his age. For some reason, to Sasuke’s great annoyance, that worried Inoichi enough that he’d made several home visits.

*beeEEEEpppBEEEeeepp*

*clack*

It was officially time to get up. Sasuke still rarely got a full night’s sleep, but it had gotten better lately. Sasuke, wasn’t exactly raring to go to the Academy for his first official day of class. The shinobi stuff he could learn was a huge draw, it was the people he was wary of.

They all treated him weirdly. Adults usually openly pitied him and if heard one more “poor Sasuke-kun” he’d flip. But there was no other way to get the knowledge he craved except for the Academy, the Shinobi Library being only open to acknowledged Genin and up.

And so, Sasuke got up and straightened his, now, very short hair. A result of the makeover he’d given himself two months after he’d ‘woken up.’ It was one of the many reasons why Inoichi had been so worried about him. But Sasuke hadn’t been able to take it. Nothing about his hair or face really sat right with him and how could anyone function with those bangs in their face all the time? So, he’d cut it all off in a fit of pique and frustration at all the things he was never going to be able to fix.

Making his way into the bathroom off the largest bedroom, now claimed by Sasuke, he took in his appearance. He looked tired and mildly grumpy. Sasuke didn’t feel particularly angry, he’d just been cursed with “resting bitch-face.” His hair looked good in his opinion. A severe buzz cut had taken care of the sides and the back of his head. The rest on top had been chopped down to few fluffy inches. It was extremely easy to clean and push into a pseudo mohawk when he felt fancy.

Sasuke grabbed some clothes after he was done with the morning hygiene routine. He’d noticed a clear preference for unrelieved black in his wardrobe. Today, he’d make a solid effort to not look like a broody goth. Sasuke donned a tight-fitting, sleeveless athletic shirt. The black shirt was comfortable and a good choice in case they’d be doing anything physical. Then he struggled into some dark green pants with lots of pockets, stowing away kunai, shuriken, and some tags he’d found in the what must be the compounds armory. If he’d identified them correctly, they were explosive in nature and therefore awesome.

Sasuke checked the time and realized he’d spent too much time wallowing in self-pity and aggravation this morning. He’d have to get breakfast on his way through the market district. Sasuke grabbed his bag and bolted for the door. By the step into the house were the geta he’d taken to wearing. According to Inoichi they were mostly worn during festivals. Sasuke called them weird flip-flops and refused to wear any other foot-gear. They weren’t stealthy by any means, but that’s just another motivation to train harder.

Sasuke shoves open the large gates that guard the Uchiha Compound and closes them back tight before running off towards the market and his breakfast. It’s a mad dash across town as everyone is trying to get stores opened Shinobi are moving to report for duty.

Sasuke ducks around several of the later and heads for his favorite stand. There’s an elderly lady who owns and runs it, she makes the best onigiri he’s ever tasted and has been hiding some salmon stuffed ones for him since he started frequenting the place.

“Good morning, Sasuke-kun. Running late as usual I see.”

That’s half the reason he likes this place. Mai-obasan, obasan by request, always called him out on his habit of leaving late to wherever he needed to be. She also had not once poor-sasuke’d him.

“Morning, Mai-obasan. Am I too late for breakfast?”

“Like I’d let my best customer go hungry on his first day of school. Here. There’s some extra in there, you need to make friends your own age young man.”

Sasuke pouts at the comment, but understands where she’s coming from. He spends an unusual amount of time in her stall reading and eating and blatantly ignoring everyone.

“Obasan, I have you to talk to, who could beat that yea?”

Sasuke ducks a gentle swat and leaves with a promise to try to make a friend. It was the least he could do. Besides, he’d want more food later and Mai-obasan could detect a lie like a professional. She claimed it was raising three kids…but Sasuke had seen her knife skills in action in the tiny kitchen she worked. But he wouldn’t push about it, he valued his access to Mai’s kitchen too much.

Now making his way up to the Academy that rested behind the Hokage’s tower at a dead run. Sasuke was pretty sure he was going to make it in time for once. The less attention he could draw the better. Unfortunately for Sasuke he had not counted on the fact that he was going to be just early enough to catch all the parents dropping off hopeful future shinobi for the first time.

Not knowing any other adults besides a few civilians, his ANBU guard with the grey hair, and Inoichi, Sasuke ducked over to the side of the yard. All the extra people were not worth fighting through just to sit in an empty classroom.

He looked around and edged toward the fence in the courtyard. Trying to keep an eye on the families and avoid getting recognized. He was facing the courtyard when he ran into something by the tree he was trying to get to.

“Oof, HEY WATCH IT!”

“SHHHHH! I’m being stealthy here shut it.”

Sasuke had run into some blonde kid, who’d been over here on the swing hanging from the tree he’d intended to climb. The loud blonde guy was over here. Alone. Oh. Sasuke wondered if this kid was an orphan too. He was kind of scruffy looking and squinting hard up at Sasuke at the moment. But, Sasuke figured if he was alone, then there was less of a chance any grown-ups would tell him to be nice to Sasuke.

He could get that anywhere. If he had to make a friend to keep his onigiri connection happy, it should be a real friend.

Sasuke shushed him again for good measure then dragged him off the swing and to the other side of the tree. They’d at least be a little hidden over here.

“HEY, Wh---”

“Shuussh, we’re hiding from the adults and their inherent weirdness. I don’t wanna be ‘poor-sasuke’d’ today thanks. Here I’ll pay you hush-onigiri.”

“You’re gonna give _me_ food??”

“Yea? S’what I said.” Sasuke was a little confused as to why this was a big deal. He hadn’t missed the kid’s emphasis on himself.

“Are you allergic to salmon? Should I not let you eat this?”

“NO-

Again, Sasuke lunged forward and clapped a hand over the kid’s mouth. When no adults showed up, too busy with family and shit, he let go and dragged the blonde over between himself and the fence.

“They will totally notice us if you keep that up, seriously. Besides I’m right here you don’t have to yell. Here, these are yours.”

Sasuke divided up the food equally and dug in. He wasn’t going to waste his portion and if blondie kept staring, he’d eat his too. One simply did not waste Mai-obasan’s food.

Sasuke very gently placed a single riceball at the kid’s mouth.

“Eat or be smooshed, blondie.” The kid took the riceball and finally dug in too. They ate in relative silence until they ran out of food.

“Ne ne, that was really good. Hey, what’s your name? Mine’s Uzumaki Naruto! I’m going to be the Hokage one day, believe it!”

Naruto’s declarative statement and disgustingly joyous demeanor were received with a raised brow and not much else as Sasuke finished chewing. That name felt familiar, the same way that Inoichi and the masked man had. Familiar...and important...but the feeling refused to sharpen into something useful.

“Sasuke, Uchiha Sasuke. Hokage huh? That’s a lot work you know?” Naruto bowed up at him. It wasn’t all that impressive, they were 8.

“I can do it. Then _everyone_ will have to recognize me and like me.”

What a weird thing to want for an 8-year-old and Sasuke was pretty sure he didn’t like what that suggested. That suggested that the village as a whole wasn’t treating this kid right. And something deep inside hurt at that. Sasuke was well liked for some reason, but it was very superficially. He could only imagine what his life would be like if no one wanted to talk to him.

“The council of Old people make you live by yourself too, don’t they?”

Naruto seemed shocked that Sasuke had even asked. “Well Jiji said it would be safer if I had my own place, what’s it to ya? I don’t need a baby-sitter. I can cook and clean and do adult stuff just fine!”

This ki-Naruto was definitely living alone then and judging by his ratty t-shirt not as well as Sasuke was though. Sasuke could feel the anger rising in him. He was mad at the injustice of all this. Wondering why two different kids had to be orphans forever, when so many clans would have taken them in. It was bullshit politics at their worst to Sasuke’s mind.

“They make me live alone too. They would have taken my real home from me, if the Sandaime hadn’t stopped them when I pitched a fit about it…Hey, if you become Hokage—”

“When, teme, when I become Hokage.”

\--yea, yea WHEN you become Hokage you should get rid of them. That way they’ll stop abusing orphans in the name of politics. 8-year-olds shouldn’t really live alone.”

“You-you really think I can do it?” Sasuke kept throwing Naruto for a loop it seemed. Naruto kept going from hilariously over-confident to stunned confusion and back. Sasuke was a little entertained by it. Besides, that nagging feeling that he should _know _this kid kept tugging at the back of his mind. He felt like maybe it’d be a good idea to keep Naruto close. At least to see if he could figure this feeling out. Also, it didn’t sound like Naruto had a lot of friends. He was probably safe to hang around.

“Sure, why not? People are always telling me I can be whatever kind of shinobi I put my mind to, same should apply to you.” Sasuke’s logic may not be infallible, but it clearly struck a chord with Naruto.

“Thanks, Sasuke!” Naruto promptly tackled the other boy in a hug. Sasuke hadn’t really been prepared for physical affection and froze. While people were nice to him all the time, everyone kept a respectful distance. It took him a minute but he patted Naruto’s back and they went back to talking about being shinobi while waiting for the teachers to arrive.

Naruto was good for some very up-beat chatter on how awesome they were going to be. Sasuke felt that Naruto had just assumed that food and hugs meant they were friends now. He was okay with that. It felt sort of like a familiar way of making friends for him anyway. It felt right, oddly enough. This being vaguely kidnapped into a friendship.

Sasuke was now also thinking that he’d help Naruto reach his goal. This loud little ball of sunshine would do those old bastards some good, really. He wasn’t sure why he was encouraging Naruto, so soon after meeting him, but something in Sasuke felt settled at the idea of having Naruto around. That feeling from before stopped pulling at him as he slowly settled into the idea that Naruto clearly thought they were friends now.

The feeling faded completely when Sasuke decided to accept it, he would be friends with Naruto. There was just something about the kid that drew him in anyway. Naruto was just so enthusiastic about everything it seemed. That kind of outlook was foreign to Sasuke, who was far more cynical and apathetic. Honestly, it was eerie how many times these gut instincts of his worked out, so hopefully this one too.

There was a passing thought that this might be a set up.... but he dropped almost immediately. Naruto seemed like a real honest person. In that anything he thought tended to come right out of his mouth. Sasuke figured if any person might set their kid up as his friend, they’d try it with someone with an ounce of subtlety in their bodies.

Subtlety and Naruto probably didn’t have even a passing acquaintance with each other. Hopefully that would wear off before he became Hokage. Or maybe not and he’d just scare the hell out of all the other Kage. Sasuke was kinda hoping for latter. 

They were interrupted after a few minutes of chatter by Inoichi’s daughter Ino. Sasuke had met her once or twice. Inoichi had taken him to his wife’s flower shop, intending for Sasuke to get some flowers for the Uchiha grave marker. Sasuke had barely been able to have an actual conversation with her as she spoke over him and gushed nauseatingly over meeting him. It had cemented his opinion that there was something wrong with Konoha’s female population.

“Um *giggle* Sasuke-kun? Dad wanted to see you before the teachers got here.” She tittered again and Sasuke turned away for a minute to roll his eyes, making Naruto laugh his ass off in the process.

“Shut up Naruto.”

“Sure Sasuke-_kun_.”

Sasuke made a rude gesture at him, to no effect and walked off without Ino. Calling out over his shoulder that he’d see Naruto later.

Sasuke didn’t doubt that Inoichi wanted to check on him and there wasn’t likely going to be time to go find Naruto afterwards.

Sasuke was right and wrong. While Inoichi had made sure that Sasuke was well and not too nervous with the amount of people about, he’d also wanted to introduce his former team mates and their sons.

There were several introductions, but Sasuke caught the kid’s names at least. The one who kept yawning was Nara Shikamaru and the chubby guy eating a tamagoyaki on a stick was Akimichi Chōji. Sasuke was struggling to make conversation with a sleepy Shikamaru and promptly decided he liked it better when he could do the majority of the listening.

Chōji was easier to talk to and had even agreed that Mai-obasan had the best onigiri in the market. Sasuke could appreciate someone who had good taste in onigiri. Before the conversation could really go anywhere the teachers arrived and began calling roll for new students. They ushered in each student one at a time in alphabetical order.

At Sasuke’s turn there were a lot of whispers from the remaining adults and few kids. Sasuke sighed heavily and got a firm pat on the back from Inoichi. At least one adult sort of commiserated with him on this nonsense the village seemed to be on. Then he went into the building. Sasuke went on in to the classroom his new sensei had named and found an as yet empty row to plop himself in.

Just as Sasuke had gotten a notebook and a set of colored pens out, Naruto burst into the room. He was again, shouting about being the Hokage in the door way right before he got ‘helped’ through it by Ino. That had to sting a bit.

Behind Ino came their sensei. He was of an average height with dark brown hair pulled into a spikey pony tail and a scar straight across his face. He looked very cool in Sasuke’s opinion. Sasuke was distracted from further observation by Ino insisting that she sit next to Sasuke-please no- and then several other girls insisting they needed to sit here instead.

It wasn’t looking pretty and Sasuke’s resting bitch-face didn’t seem to be deterring them either. Naruto was starring confusedly at him and shrugged as if to ask ‘What got into them?’ Sasuke could only send a wide-eyed glare at his new sensei, praying the man would have the sense to put a stop to this.

“Everyone, quiet down!” Their sensei had some pipes on him. “Girls, you’ve already chosen your seats, Ino? I think you’ll have an easier time paying attention up here with Hinata-chan. Uzumaki find a seat.”

Sasuke motioned for Naruto to sit next to him. With the window to one side of him and Naruto on the other Sasuke should be able to focus. Should be.

As their sensei introduced himself as Iruka-sensei he called his assistant teacher in as well, Mizuki. Sasuke frowned at the man during his introduction. He felt off. But Sasuke ignored the feeling with twinge of irritation and looked over to Naruto, Naruto who had absolutely no school supplies with him. Why was no one looking after this kid? He clearly needed help. He had NOT adapted to single living like Sasuke had.

Sasuke pulled out another notebook and grabbed the orange pen in his set. Slid both over to Naruto after writing over the first page: “Shit Future-Hokage Ought to Know.”

It took a second for the gift to sink in, then Sasuke got a grin with enough wattage to power his whole house. Yea, they were definitely friends now Sasuke decided, like officially. If no one was going to help this boy, Sasuke would. The village ought to be ashamed of itself, waiting for another orphan to get pissed off enough to step up for Naruto.

What Sasuke was not prepared for, was to see for himself how adults treated Naruto. It wasn’t anything big, but as they went around the class introducing themselves, Iruka-sensei skipped Naruto. Naruto had obviously been expecting it too. He grit his teeth and clenched his hands on the desk. And no one said _anything_.

Feeling very annoyed by the whole thing, Sasuke refused to answer Iruka’s summons to stand instead just deadpanning “It’s Naruto’s turn Sensei. Oi, baka. Get moving yea? I want to learn something today.”

Naruto was gaping, open-mouthed at Sasuke like he couldn’t believe someone had stood up for him. Sasuke just raised a brow and tossed his head trying to signal Naruto to stand up and take his turn.

Naruto got the hint and shouted gleefully at the top his lungs the same introduction he’d said much quieter to Sasuke.

Sasuke mimed cleaning his ear to an unrepentant Naruto as the other boy flopped down into his seat again. Hands restlessly tapping at his notebook.

Without being asked and into the deafening silence Naruto left in his wake, Sasuke offered his name and nothing more, aware that these people undoubtedly already knew who he was and what had happened to him. Sitting back down with a sketchy bow towards Iruka. Who looking a little stunned but still carried out the last few students and, blessedly, started the actual teaching.

The rest of the day was just as annoying to Sasuke as the start of the lesson. Naruto was routinely ignored no matter if he had a question or an answer. It pissed Sasuke off. He’d already firmly claimed Naruto in his mind and this friend-abuse would stop.

Right when he was about to blow his fuse before lunch at other instance of this exclusion, Naruto kicked him under the table. Shaking his head Naruto passed him a note with messy handwriting:

“Leave it, they won’t change. This is why I have to be Hokage. Then they’ll acknowledge me.” It was messy and there were lots of misspellings, but Sasuke understood the message. He was just mad that Naruto thought it had to be this way.

Sasuke looked at Naruto who simply shook his head again. Fine. Sasuke would keep his peace, but he was still going to be mad about it.

Naruto disappeared at lunch, leaving Sasuke to dodge weird girls and shove himself in beside Choji. Shikamaru looked to be half asleep in his bento and the Aburame boy was just as quiet as Shikamaru if more awake. Very stimulating conversation to be had at this table clearly. Did any of these kids actually want to be ninja, literally none of them talked about jutsu or anything.

Though, Sasuke supposed he was hanging out with the clan kids. They mostly weren’t allowed to speak of their clan techniques and it looked like no one but him had any interests outside their clan techniques. This was _incredibly _disappointing. Sasuke quickly wished Naruto would show up and stir something up. At least they wouldn’t all die of boredom then.

When the bell rang for everyone to go in Sasuke was the first to go. The late bell would sound in 5 minutes, but he didn’t have anyone to wait for out here.

Getting back to his claimed desk, Sasuke sat back down at his window, looking up as Naruto snuck back into the classroom from the hallway.

Before Sasuke could ask what the other boy had been up to though, Naruto spoke first.

“You have to let it go, Sasuke. That’s just how adults are with me. ‘Cept for Jiji, they all ignore me or worse hate me. If you get too close, they’ll make you stop being friends with me or be mean to you too. I won’t be the kind of man who lets their fr-friends get hurt ‘cause of me.”

Sasuke had to wonder if that had happened before. If Naruto had thought he’d had a friend only for some adult to take it away. The other kids here seemed to be wary of Naruto or pick up on their parents’ angry dismissal of him. He could also see how Naruto openly befriending ‘The Last Uchiha’ may not go over so well with the village either. The village prodigy and the village pariah probably weren’t _supposed_ to be friends. Whatever. Sasuke could work around that.

Thanks to Mai-obasan, Naruto was his first real friend. Not some sycophant fangirl like Ino. No. This was something Sasuke could do for himself that would make him happy, there was something in his core that would not allow Naruto to be alone.

For whatever excuse the village might have, it could not be enough to warrant the teacher’s apathy or the village’s hostility as a whole. Naruto might be loud, but he clearly wasn’t stupid. Besides, orphans get to choose their own family.

“Someone once told me that a person who leaves a comrade behind is trash. I’ll be friends with and defend whoever I want. But I can see how being friends out in the open might make things harder on you too. We’ll just hang out at my place, kay? I’ve got a fence and no grown-ups.” 

“Really Sasuke? Even if…if I’m a ‘Demon brat’?”

That triggered something in Sasuke’s mind. There was something about that rung both true and false. It was confusing. ‘Fox brat’ they called him that too. Sasuke just knew it. It had something to do with foxes. It might bear further research, later. Now though, Sasuke had held back eating the entirety of his lunch. Assuming correctly that Naruto hadn’t brought anything.

Sasuke re-opened his bento and slid the other half of a stick of yakitori over to Naruto. “Eat your half, Naruto. No one gets to tell me who to be friends with. Besides you’ll never make Hokage without me to help you.”

Naruto gasped dramatically and then yelled loudly his assertion that’d he’d be Hokage no matter what, before diving into Sasuke’s leftovers. He managed to devour what was left in the scant minutes left to them before class started back up.

XXXXX

Sitting next to Sasuke, Naruto was still reeling from Sasuke’s equally adamant and plainly furious defense of himself this morning. That wasn’t normal for Naruto to have someone so concerned about himself. But…Sasuke was an orphan too and he-he hadn’t shot Naruto’s dream down at all. Sasuke, just didn’t understand how bad people could be and Naruto wasn’t going to let his only friend be at the wrong end of it. A good Hokage protected his precious people and Naruto was going to be the BEST Hokage ever. Until the village acknowledged him, this was the way they had to be, at least when the grown-ups were around.

XXXXX

For the second time that day Ino attempted to insert herself into Sasuke’s good graces. She was really going about it in the wrong fucking way.

“You shouldn’t talk to Sasuke-kun like that Na_ru_to. And another thi—”

Sasuke shoved himself to his feet, “Ino, Naruto is loud enough without you joining in. Besides, class is starting and I’d like to pay attention.”

Naruto started laughing, assumedly at Ino’s facial expression. Sasuke hoped it was good, he was maintaining his forward stare, pretending to be interested in class.

Honestly though, this day had been mostly a bust for Sasuke. Iruka-sensei hadn’t even gone over anything Sasuke hadn’t been able to teach himself during his recovery. Good thing he’d brought an emergency book to read. It was about Fūinjutsu and he was already very fascinated with subject, more so than ninjutsu. It looked like it might supplement his natural Genjutsu abilities too.

He was still reading and taking notes, in yet another notebook, by the time Iruka got everyone calmed enough to proceed. The same bullshit as before continued, but Sasuke stopped fighting it so hard. Naruto might be able to defend himself and fighting this might not beneficial to either of them, but it still stung a bit. 

As Sasuke was reading his own book and ignoring the rest of the class, he caught Irkua-sensei going for a cabinet in the corner. That in itself wasn’t all that noteworthy, Naruto’s reaction to it was. Because Naruto was now snickering into his hands, trying to muffle the sound.

It was just iffy enough for Sasuke to glance back at Iruka-sensei and witness the trap Naruto must have set, go off. Somehow the crazy kid had rigged a water balloon, filled with colored water to spring out hard enough to bursts right in the teachers face.

Revise that, Naruto could definitely take care of himself.

There was a lot of shocked gasps and some laughter from the more rambunctious kids. But nothing topped Naruto jumping on top of his desk to announce that *he* was the greatest trap master of them all. Crowing about how awesomely rigged the trap had been and how many shinobi had fallen to him to date.

Sasuke had to hand it to him, Naruto was actually pretty good at speeches. Unfortunately, he was equally good at drawing the _wrong_ kind of attention too. Not a real good start to the first day, but an excellent rebuttal to being ignored all class period by both sensei.

Naruto definitely had detention. But the blonde boy seemed satisfied that both teachers were forced to acknowledge him for the rest of the time if only to keep a wary eye on the menace.

By the end of the day Sasuke was sure he’d sprained something in his face from trying not laugh or glare so hard at Naruto and his new sensei in turn, but he was 100% certain that he was keeping Naruto. Spite was a great motivator for Sasuke, who was already devising plans to help Naruto prank the ever-living shit out of both teachers.

It was an interesting start to both of their careers, in that this friendship was going to be either a gift or a curse to this village. The years ahead, alone, would be able to tell.


	2. Through the Years

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Part 1 of a couple of shorts of Sasuke meeting and being annoyed by various people. Alternatively titled: Faking it Convincingly: How to make real friends

Year 1

School days quickly got a bit tedious for Sasuke or the lesson half was, he’d been given several history books and basic chakra scrolls already. He’d spent the last several months just reading about everything he could, history, chakra, jutsu, the academy itself.

The history lessons had been interesting to read about, but boring to hear in class. Sasuke could tell they were censoring things for younger audiences. To him that seemed to defeat the purpose of having a shinobi school in the first place. If they were going to grow up killing people why bother to clean up any battle stories about the last war? It seemed extremely pointless. Maybe they’d explain later…

The practical lessons in Taijutsu had begun after half a year and Sasuke realized his body remembered how to move a lot better than his brain did. The Uchiha style came back to him easily when they started practicing actual katas for their stamina building warm ups.

Sasuke then discovered he wasn’t the kind of person to leave something like that affected him personally to the unknown though. He researched his move set heavily, most of the moves seem to lean towards Aikido. Focusing more on grabs and throws to redirect opponents without killing them. Sasuke assumed that any good Uchiha would be relying on his Ninjutsu and Sharingan to actually end a fight. Sasuke had found several more scrolls in what had been his father’s study on the subject. Many had hand written notes about how to best teach these kata to new students.

It had been a lucky find. Sasuke quietly cheered his, apparent, natural curiosity and promised to indulge himself more often. It was working out very well so far.

Ultimately, Sasuke’s Taijutsu would be useful for non-lethal takedowns, a must for an inter-village police force. In the field it meant that Sasuke might be a good Hunter-nin in group with a strong tracker. A career in ANBU wasn’t entirely abhorrent to the young boy, he just worried that the secrecy that came with the job would isolate him more. He had a grand total of 3 actual friends if he was counting adults along with Naruto. Therapists might not count so Inoichi’s inclusion was tentative.

An alternative was to aim for Tokubetsu or regular Jōnin. He’d need leadership experience and lots of missions under his belt before he could do it, but with his natural resistance to Genjutsu, and technical immunity with his sharingan, and fascination with Fūinjutsu meant he’d have his pick of missions. (Sasuke still had not revealed that he could activate his Sharingan to anyone, it did not feel safe.)

He was mostly okay with either option. Especially after Iruka-sensei had pointed out that in the Shinobi world it was better to overlap your specialties, one never knew when you’d have to fight someone capable of countering your standard MO. It was good advice and in keeping with their Taijutsu lessons, Sasuke decided to add several more striking attacks to his katas with Iruka-sensei’s help.

Naruto’s experience in physical training was…interesting at times and very frustrating for both boys. Sasuke knew that neither teacher really helped him and once or twice Mizuki would “offer advice” that seemed more wrong than right. Sasuke would simply stand next to him in class and hold strikes longer, giving Naruto more time to see how to hold his hands or arms. Sasuke wasn’t above kicking his new friend’s feet to get Naruto to stand right either. It helped, but what Naruto really needed was a style that suited him better.

Sasuke couldn’t imagine trying to teach Naruto enough patience to use the Uchiha style. Let enemies come to him? Unlikely. 

Outside of class, Naruto wasn’t a half bad listener and had actually gotten better at throwing kunai and shuriken with Sasuke’s help. He might actual be more than last place in class if he buckled down and studied some. Sasuke was starting to think he’d have to read up on stuff for Naruto and then just summarize for him. It was the method that worked the best so far. Naruto had proven he wasn’t stupid. Iruka-sensei could attest to that.

The usually affable sensei had nearly blown his top the third time Naruto had managed to get into a locked classroom to fill it with frogs, but after he calmed down, he’d almost seemed impressed. He still fussed at Naruto, but it wasn’t as angry as before, mostly he sounded frustrated. Iruka-sensei wasn’t going to make an impression if he didn’t commit more than that was all Sasuke could think.

Naruto was also the sneakiest kid in their grade and maybe the whole village. Sasuke couldn’t help but be impressed by his ninja traps too. Naruto, knew exactly where to place booby-traps and ninja wire for the best effect. Sasuke rarely helped, sticking to the background to make sure no adult would have a reason to suspect Naruto of “corrupting” him. But he also had several buildings worth of construction supplies, namely paint, that he kept leaving out for Naruto too.

Their friendship had to be hidden, the way the whole village united to spurn one child disgusted Sasuke and stoked the fire his determination to change things up around here.

Naruto would make off-hand comments about his shitty landlord or the shops who charged him double. It was ridiculous. And it certainly wasn’t helping any of the fools avoid Naruto’s increasing repertoire of pranks and gags. No less than 10 vendors had opened their shops to water balloon traps and new paint jobs.

Sasuke was pretty sure the Uchiha who had owned that paint wouldn’t be happy about what he was doing with them. But they weren’t here to complain and Sasuke liked to pretend the Uchiha were a little less stuck up than they were reported to be.

In the privacy of the Compound, Sasuke and Naruto were officially best friends by the end of the school year. Sasuke had shown him the loose boards at the back of the Uchiha Compound and Naruto used his impressive stealth abilities to sneak in and out throughout the week.

Naruto rarely stayed in Sasuke’s house for long, but he’d come and go frequently. Sometimes showing up only on the weekends. Sasuke felt as if Naruto was akin to a stray cat in that regard. He didn’t want to be trapped or maybe overstay his welcome, always a little wary when they were indoors. Always trying to be extra still or quiet.

Going off that observation, Sasuke always made sure repeatedly remind Naruto how lonely it was and how empty the house seemed when he was there alone. Hoping that Naruto would understand that his presence helped keep that at bay. Sasuke also always had something to eat ready. He hadn’t missed the way Naruto would eat anything and everything put in front of him. He might love ramen the best, but he clearly didn’t get any home cooked meals elsewhere either.

The summer break was full of romps through the compound. They played ninja and practiced their Taijutsu in spars. Sasuke took the time to try to explain anything Naruto had question about whenever he asked. Sasuke still had to see Inoichi at the Yamanaka’s practice once a week. But Inoichi seemed pleased that Sasuke was less depressed about being “by himself.” Inoichi had asked Sasuke over to the Nara and Akimichi compounds several times in an obvious attempt to broaden Sasuke’s social circle outside of school.

Sasuke, of course, got along well with Choji and even with Choji’s mother, Etsuko. They mostly talked about food, but Etsuko-san was always happy to have Sasuke and Choji help in the kitchen to teach them how to make some Akimichi worthy food. It was always a nice visit and after a few times, Etsuko and her husband the famous Chōza invited Sasuke over to just have dinner with them.

It was nice having friends. Actually having a social circle, but Choji and his family were always careful to not mention his family or his brother. Etsuko-san had even teared up a few times when teaching him a recipe. Sasuke understood that his mother would have, ideally, been the one to do so should he have shown an interest, but she wasn’t here and Sasuke could not remember her.

Mikoto might as well of not existed. Sure, he wanted to know about her, find ways to be close to the person who probably loved him more than anyone, but that was curiosity about a person, there wasn’t any emotional attachment to her as a mother. Sasuke did not know her enough to have an opinion about her really. He just wanted to know who’d she been. Maybe get a handle on how the family side of the Uchiha worked.

As much as Sasuke liked the Akimichi and the Yamanaka clans, he was extremely grateful to have a friend who understood what it was like to not have a family or memories of one. To have friend who looked forward, because there wasn’t anything behind him. He was grateful for the way that Naruto always lumped Sasuke in with his “precious people” too. The first time he’d heard Naruto say that he couldn’t help but lean against the other boy’s shoulder, pressing firmly against his friend.

Sasuke had barely been able to get out a strangled “Thank you, Naruto. You’re one of my people too, ya know?” The celebratory tackling that followed was unnecessary, but not entirely unwelcome. Naruto, at least, had figured out that Sasuke didn’t show his emotions and needed other people to reach out to him first. If he didn’t want you touching him, he’d let you know. So, if Sasuke let you touch him, you were special and were allowed to do so whenever.

As the summer ended, Sasuke had advanced far past the coming school years coverage of Fūinjutsu. He had spent any time not with his best friend, studying and practicing storage scrolls. Using his Sharingan to remember where the elaborate kanji went was huge help. His hand writing had always been good, but now was even more elegant. He intended to show Iruka-sensei his now perfect storage scrolls and hopefully leaver some specialized lessons out of it.

Naruto’s Taijutsu still wasn’t identifiable as a style, but he’d been able to put a bit of polish on it. It was at least more structured than that Inuzuka boy could do. Naruto was going to improvise no matter what it seemed. Sasuke left him to it and simply provided an able opponent for Naruto to try new things out on. It worked for them.

Sasuke hoped that this year would be more tolerable than their first. Otherwise, he was going to be stuck helping Naruto catch frogs or worse bugs to torment their sensei. Sasuke hated bugs.

Year 2à

About halfway through the year Sasuke was starting to regret asking for extra Fūinjutsu training. He did love it. It was complex and challenging to be forced to reverse engineer some of these seals. But on the other hand, Sasuke had not known that Iruka himself would be his task master. The man was pure evil. He checked every single seal Sasuke brought to him and demanded perfection.

There were benefits to that of course. 2 more years of this and Sasuke was going to be able to do combat seals and the like on the fly, mid-battle. But in the meantime, there were several red ink marks on his timed-release seal that were mocking him. Three errors this time, at least he was improving. His first submission had been marked with 5 errors and a comment noting that his timer was set for 11 minutes, not ten. Sasuke had dragged his hand slightly moving to the next part and messed it up.

“Arrrgh”

“You okay, ‘suke?” Naruto was asking because Sasuke had taken to gently thumping his head against the writing desk he sat in front of.

“I’m fine. Just figuring out that remembering something perfectly doesn’t help if you’re going to let your writing get sloppy.” Sasuke rolled his head to the side so he could see Naruto sitting in front of the TV.

The boys had been enjoying an evening in. Naruto had recently started to sleep over sometimes which, startling enough, had helped Sasuke’s nightmares ease up. He was actually getting more sleep just knowing someone else was in the house. Tonight, was looking to be a good night to suggest Naruto stay with him, as it was still pouring buckets outside.

“That sealing stuff is complicated, ‘suke. You should learn some kick-ass Ninjutsu instead!”

“You just want me to teach you Ninjutsu, don’t you?” Sasuke deadpanned at Naruto.

“Heehee, I wouldn’t say no.” The blonde boy didn’t even look sorry for it. Just scratching his cheek like that. Sasuke was not fooled.

“I keep telling you, I only know the one fire technique. I can show it to you, but your affinity is wind. You’d do better to learn a wind release of some kind. And Fūinjutsu is just as kick-ass as Ninjutsu!” Sasuke was probably not going to convince his friend, but he was definitely going to defend his favorite jutsu.

“No way! It takes forever to get right and none of ‘em do anything cool!” Naruto slung back at his friend.

“Do too! Summoning technically falls under Fūinjutsu and you can’t say that isn’t cool. Some summons can even wield ninja weapons. Just think, one day you’ll be alone on the battlefield, outnumbered by some evil ninja and then BAM. Kuchiyose no Jutsu. You turn the tables by summoning a giant sword-wielding toad or a cat who can do Ninjutsu with you or something.”

“Wooow! Are there really toad summons?! I’m totally finding them and learn to summon them. Believe it!”

Sasuke laughs, telling Naruto that of course he wants toads of all things. He tries hard to think of where he read about the toads in first place, but can’t get further than knowing they exist. Best not to try too hard. Moving on.

“Ne, Naruto. You want to see something cool?”

“Yes!”

“Did you know the Uchiha totally have a clan summons?” Naruto awed gasp is very rewarding. “We used to have two, but my crazy brother took the crow one. But I found the other one hidden in the storage room under the floor.” Sasuke gleefully tells an enthralled Naruto.

“No way! Have you looked at yet? It’s on a scroll, right? Iruka-sensei definitely said there had to be a scroll. I remember that part.”

“Yea, you’re right, the contract has to be written out and signed by the clan head or at least the first clan member, I guess. Ours is in this big chunky orange scroll.” Sasuke leans in to tease Naruto a bit. “You wanna see it?”

“Hell yea! Let’s go, c’mon” Naruto drags Sasuke to the back-storage room and pushes Sasuke in before him. Chanting “show me” several times to Sasuke’s delight.

Sasuke shows Naruto how to find and disable the lock on the trap door. Then lifts the door to reveal a small box shaped hole in the floor. Sasuke grabs the strap around a thick scroll and shuts the door back.

Unrolling it so Naruto can see the names on it, Sasuke points out with pride his mother’s name. “She was the last to sign it. Itachi, signed the crow scroll that my father kept. But his one just has my Mom’s family on it.”

He may not remember his mother, but she was definitely a badass judging from her preferred summons. Cats were much cooler than toads, no matter what Naruto thought. Also, it was something that only his mother had touched, not Itachi who had touched just about everything their father had.

“Wow, look at all those names. This must crazy old, ‘suke.” Naruto’s not wrong there. Sasuke tells him it has to be at least a couple hundred years old. Several generations of shinobi and kunoichi alike. 

“Are you going to sign it? You should! Then we can both have a really cool summon partner!”

“You don’t even know what animal it is…it’s cats by the way. I read the upper part of it one night I couldn’t sleep. It’s specifically a clan of ninneko (Ninja-cats) who live in a place called Fudeomori. I looked them up in the library, but there wasn’t much on them.”

Naruto groans at the explanation. Sometimes, his friend thought too much. Naruto regularly complained about it, but it was nice to know that someone had answers or would help him find them at least.

“No, teme. I want to know if you’re going sign it! You should, then I’ll find the toad’s later and—”

“Naruto, you need a lot of chakra to summon anything battle ready. And I haven’t had the chance to ask Iruka-sensei about it yet.”

The razzberry he gets for that answer is just so uncalled for. A little caution never hurt anyone. But Naruto makes a valid point saying that if they show Iruka and the teacher thinks Sasuke isn’t ready he’d likely take the scroll to make sure they didn’t follow through.

“You can only summon someone proportional to the amount of chakra you put in. We’re 10 Naruto, I’d get a kitten anyway…though I wouldn’t mind a kitten. It’d be nice to have someone to talk to at night.” Sasuke returns to studying the top portion of the scroll, mumbling the terms of the agreement.

He doesn’t see the worried look Naruto gives him while he’s not looking. His friend worries about him as much as Sasuke does about Naruto somedays. Naruto knows that Sasuke is as lonely as he is when there’s no one here. Sasuke constantly tells Naruto that he can sleep here whenever he wants. Knows that Sasuke has already cleaned out a bedroom so Naruto can stay here comfortably.

Naruto thinks about it sometimes, about how nice it’d be to live here instead of in the darkest, grungiest part of town. Where his landlord hates him and sketchy people are always wandering around. Naruto had gotten trapped in a few alleys that way by bad people. People who’d hurt him. He doesn’t like to think about those days, but he also knows that those same kinds of people might be as mean to Sasuke if they lived here together. He won’t be responsible for hurting his friend, he won’t.

Naruto’s inner turmoil is broken by a determined “Yosh” from Sasuke. “huh?”

“I’m going to do it. Everything I know about summoning contracts says that as long as you sign your name in blood first, it all depends on how much chakra you put in as to who you’ll get. So, I’m pretty sure this is actually safe.”

“Really!? Do it, doitdoitdoit!”

Sasuke rolls his eyes, but slips a kunai out of his side pouch. Deftly cutting his finger on his dominant hand and neatly finger paints his name next to his mothers. It’s a powerful moment for a boy who can’t remember Uchiha Mikoto as a mother. He wonders if any of his mother’s summon partners are still alive. But then he sets that thought aside. He wrote his name there for a reason. Time to rise to the occasion like an Uchiha should.

“Kuchiyose no Jutsu!” Sasuke sends chakra through his still bleeding hand into a clear spot on the floor. He subtly activates his two-tomoe Sharingan to make sure the familiar seal mark is correct.

Both boys jerk back as a cloud of smoke billows from then seal. Sasuke over balances and falls back into Naruto. It’s a mad scramble of limbs to get back up right and as the smoke rapidly clears, they see…

That it worked.

There is a small jet-black cat sitting on the seal. It’s tiny and slim, but its fur is very sleek and smooth, like an adult cat’s would be.

The cat’s vibrant green eyes stare back at the stunned boys.

“An Uchiha summons a FudeNeko, again?” Its voice is as petite as the cat itself and it stares into Sasuke’s eyes as he nods.

“Yes, my name is Uchiha Sasuke. Um, the son of Uchiha Mikoto, your scroll was left in my possession. Uh, I wanted to see if there was someone who wanted to be my partner…maybe?”

The unblinking stare of this tiny cat, no Ninneko, is unnerving. Naruto is just peering over Sasuke’s shoulder at this point and when he starts to snort in laughter, Sasuke elbows him. “shhhh, I told you they’d be small. I don’t have your chakra reserves, jerk. Besides, size isn’t everything, cats are tougher than toads any day!”

The tiny cat takes in their small scuffle and Sasuke’s retort to the laughter. Both boys are clearly very young, but Sasuke had been very respectful in his summons and adamant in his defense of a Ninneko he didn’t yet know. The Ninneko, yowls for attention.

“I have made my choice. I will see to your training on one condition.”

Sasuke, who has Naruto in a headlock currently, drops his friend and shuffles around on his knees to look at his potential summons.

“Really? I mean *ahem* may I hear the condition Neko-san?” Sasuke figures it can’t hurt to be polite. He keeps his eyes from locking onto the cats though, cats don’t make eye-contact unless they are challenging someone. He wants to give the right impression, he’s looking for a partner or friend not a minion. And if he heard correctly the small cat had offered “see to his training”, not necessarily be his summons.

“Of course, I have no wish to fight. I have enough duties in Fudeomori to see too. However, there are several young cats who might be a good match for an equally young ninja to work with. What is your specialty?”

“Fūinjutsu and Genjutsu, uh…Neko-san.”

“You may call me Yoruichi. I am the guardian of this scroll and mother to two litters of Ninneko. And I think my youngest will be a good match for you. My condition is this:

Any Ninneko who chooses to serve alongside must be afforded housing and care here in your own home. They will take part in your own schooling and learn at Fudeomori as well, should they so choose. They can simply use the reverse summons to come home for instruction. We will work out a schedule. Is this satisfactory?”

Sasuke was floored. He wasn’t really sure what he was expecting but it certainly had not been as much as this. And it was an easy question to answer too. Of course, he’d take care of whoever decided to stay. He hoped he could be good friends with the Ninneko.

“Yes! Of course. I’d be happy to share my home with them. It’s kind of empty since the…well I’m sure you know.”

“Yes, we had heard. Akane, your mother’s partner, was very distraught when she heard what happened to Mikoto-san. Very well, we have an agreement.” Yoruichi raised her paw and held it out. Sasuke placed his around, careful not to squeeze, and they shook on it.

“You will perform the summons again. As you do, think the name: Suzume. She is not very old or big, you will not need much chakra to meet her.”

Sasuke did as instructed, as he placed his hand once more to the floor following the incantation a smaller puff of smoke came out of it.

And as it cleared and even tinier young kitten appeared. Or more accurately a young cat. Still a little fuzzy but with more poise than a true kitten possessed.

This one had eyes shades lighter than their mothers vivid green. There was lots of gold in them too. Sasuke placed both his hands down on the floor, palms up and Suzume climbed on. Sasuke brought her to eye level and gave her a big closed eyed grin.

“Hello Suzume, my name is Sasuke!”

He got the world’s cutest “mrrrp” from Suzume and a head boop to his chin. From that second, Sasuke didn’t rightly care what Suzume could or couldn’t do. They were friends.

“Suzume, has yet to learn human speech, but still might pick it up if here often enough. You should attempt to summon them at least once a day. She’ll leave when and if she’s ready.”

“This is the best day ever. Thank you for introducing us Yoruichi-san. I appreciate it.” Sasuke would forever be grateful for Yoruichi and for Naruto pushing him towards this.

Yoruichi gave a slow blink and brief nod. “I will leave so that you may get to know one another.” And with another poof of smoke, disappeared back to Fudeomori.

Suzume climbed up Sasuke’s arm and settled, purring loudly for such a little thing, into the collar of his house jacket.

“Holy Shit, Sasuke! You got a summons; can I touch her? Please!” Naruto’s question gets a muffled chirp from Sasuke’s clothes. “I don’t know, ask her. She’s got a brain, you know.”

Naruto mouths “right” to himself and addresses the same question to Suzume. Sasuke is pretty sure she purrs harder when he addresses her as Suzume-sama. She was going to be a great addition to their house. His house.

Naruto pets Suzume’s head when she daintily shifts closer to him to allow it. And she is definitely liking all the attention. Sasuke was glad that his new friend and his best friend seemed to get along right off the bat.

The boys spent the rest of the day showing Suzume around the house and showing off their own shinobi abilities as best they could indoors. Suzume was extremely fast and very fleet of foot. Being as small as she was, barely 5 whole pounds, she was a perfect courier. Suzume seemed to agree as demonstrated by starting a game of keep away that had both boys working to catch a small scroll that had been on Sasuke’s desk.

They were all tired when Suzume decided they had enough. With a head boop for Sasuke and charming “mew” for Naruto, she returned to her home.

It was a banner day for them. A new friend for Sasuke and for Naruto the knowledge that someone could keep Sasuke company when he couldn’t. Sasuke then insisted Naruto stay for a late dinner that would probably turn into him insisting Naruto just sleep over. It would still be the weekend tomorrow and no one would notice. Besides it was raining, who wanted to walk home in that?

As much as Sasuke liked his new partner, Suzume, Naruto was his best friend and he would always try to keep him safe. It was what one did with one’s precious people after all.


	3. Year 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Meet the Nekonin

6 months later, it was summer and class was out for a bit while the teachers had some time off from the <strike>unholy terrors</strike> children they were charged with. Sasuke was practicing his Taijutsu and adding in weapon throws at targets when the ward on the big gate to the compound tugged at his brain.

Someone was at the door.

It couldn’t be Naruto. He was out and about today with the new timed-paint bombs they’d made up together. He wouldn’t back until much later and he wouldn’t knock at the door. Inoichi was written into the wards as Sasuke’s technical guardian or at least his chosen mental health professional. He’d just come in and track Sasuke down.

Suzume cut him slack by running up to him then and beckoning him with her tail. Suzume must have been expecting this person then. Oh, maybe it was another Ninneko.

Sasuke runs after Suzume towards the door. Suzume really could have just unlocked the thing herself, but whoever it was must be here to see Sasuke. He and Suzume were still plotting out a way to efficient talk to each other as Suzu did not care for human speech. So, if she had said something about another Ninneko coming, he’d definitely missed that one.

He gets to the gate and opens it up to find cat sitting on its haunches on the other side. It looks a lot like a traditional bobtail cat[1], but kind of chubby and dressed in a very pretty yukata. It’s a sky blue with darker trim and a white cloud pattern. The Neko’s fur is so dense and fluffy that it looks like it’s standing on end. It’s also got a very large paint brush and gourd strapped to its pack.

It’s adorable and cheeky looking. Sasuke really hopes this cat is here to stay.

Remembering his manners, “Uh, Hello. Uchiha Sasuke. Are you from Fudeomori?”

“Yup” it’s a chipper and warm sounding voice. Full of mirth and good cheer. “Name’s Matsuo. Suzume told me about you. I want to sign up for the ninja thing.”

Sasuke stands back to let the bobtail in, assuming (correctly) that Matsuo is a male from the name and the voice.

As they walk back to the house, situated at the end of the main road, Matsuo explains his presence “So you know that the Fudeomori Ninneko are mostly caught up in their banking, right?”

“Yea, I’ve had a few conversations with Yoruichi about finances because of it. She actually told me that Mikoto's side of the Uchiha clan actually kept most of their funds with you guys. I can’t get at them until I’m an adult or a Genin, but I kind of intended to move the rest there too. Is that what you do, banking?”

“Not through any kind of desire on my part. It’s just that there isn’t a lot of call for Fūinjutsu in our actual field soldiers. And despite being incredible cute, I’m pretty tough too. I’ve decided to specialize in barriers and seals to be more battle ready.”

“Really?! Iruka-sensei hasn’t taught me anything about barriers yet. They’re a little different than just seals. Do you write in standard or are there like cat versions of seals??”

Sasuke’s enthusiasm is catching and both boy and Neko delve deep into their comparative takes on Fūinjutsu. Suzu follows along behind looking unbearable smug at how well her two friends are getting on. She knew that this was a better use of Matsuo’s talent than sitting around making security seals. Besides, it was high time he left the nest and the only place Akane, his mother, likely thought worthy of her kitten besides the great bank was with the Uchiha.

She was so good at being Sasuke’s partner, sometimes she even impressed herself. Now, she just needed to get a weapons specialist and maybe a ninjutsu specialist. They couldn’t count on Naruto being on their Genin team. Best to have a backup. 

[1] Think Japanese Bobtail, short hair. This one is white with black spots. (mostly white, nubby tail one black ear and one white)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Suzume--small black shorthair, with light green eyes  
Matsuo--Japanese Bobtail cat, Black and white patches. Prefers to wear simple yukatas and his broad strawhat. (think japanese monk)


	4. Year 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shenanigans with class

The third year of Academy training ran similar to the first two for about a month. Then Iruka-sensei surprised them all, they would now be learning actual chakra control and trying Henge for the first time.

Well, the Henge was nothing new. Naruto had been using a version of Henge for like ever. It was how he got away from the fallout of most of his pranks. Change into something else, walk away and try not to laugh at how awesome you were. Naruto usually failed that last bit, but the rest gave him the head start he needed to get away.

Sasuke had been practicing as well. Once seeing Naruto in action, he’d demanded Naruto show him how to do it, Suzume too. Suzu-chan (Suzume) it turned out wasn’t interested in Ninjutsu of any kind. Preferring to rely on being a very adorable and fast to get out of trouble. Considering how she’d helped Naruto out a few times, it was hard to argue with that logic.

Even sporting a new collar with the tiniest tag, which was an upside down Uchiha fan, no one connected her with placing paint tags around for Naruto. It was just a cat playing with some paper. A kitten bringing her “kill” back to her human. Nothing to notice here, just a cat.

It had worked like a charm. Iruka had been called as Naruto had detonated some obnoxiously pink paint in the middle of an asshole vendor’s stall when he should have been in class. It got Sasuke some looks when they both got back to the room. Iruka was a little suspicious like that.

And Sasuke’s new Nin-neko had looked suspiciously like the cat who’d knocked a roof tile on his head while he was chasing Naruto. But getting back to the classroom faster than a shinobi, who could jump the rooftops and thus speed their arrival, shouldn’t have been possible for such a tiny cat.

The thought was dropped when, once again, one of the girls tried to approach Sasuke only to be hissed and spat at by the tiny cat. Iruka had to, again, get everyone re-seated, lecture the girls about mobbing Sasuke and ask Sasuke to refrain from letting his kitten eat anyone.

Class could have resumed at that point had Inuzuka Kiba not then insulted Sasuke’s kitten. It wasn’t fully formed or projected very well. But, Iruka felt the angry spike of Sasuke’s chakra, a sliver away from being true Killing Intent. Kiba, like most Inuzuka, wasn’t a sensor-type in that regard. Though the glare Sasuke was sending him, should have been enough of a clue. Maybe the class just needed some exercise.

~~~~Iruka shows no mercy, making the kids run laps until the majority are exhausted~~~~

The return to the class room should have gone better than the first time he re-entered after finding Naruto. Should have. Instead, Kiba finds a noxious stink bomb under his butt, courtesy of storage tag. Not a scroll a tag. A tag with a stink bomb that was mid detonation when stored. Leaving no chance to get rid of the thing, especially since it had been un-stored between the chair and Kiba’s ass.

Iruka, former prankster, had to admire the mechanics and setup that went into this, but the teacher in him was wondering how he was ever going to pin this on Sasuke.

He knew the boy could have done it, probably did it, considering the little flair of malice he’d sensed earlier. But the tag was not labeled and Sasuke had been the first onto the field…without his cat. Can you give a summons detention? Can you make the summoner take the detention for his summons? Iruka could feel the tension headache forming.

“You know what, class dismissed for the day. I want everyone to come in tomorrow with a better attitude and be prepared to take a pop-quiz on chakra and the potential uses of the Henge in the field. Now please leave.”

He was not paid enough to deal with this. First his class has a whole generation of future clan heads, now there was a prank war brewing. And, unfortunately, it looked as if one of the most talented kids in the class had been irked into participating. It was bad enough when Konaha’s most determined ninja, Naruto, had been at it.

That’s it, it was a ramen night for sure.

~~~~~~~~~~~Shenanigans, the fallout~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“OI, Uchiha! I know that was you who set that bomb.” Inuzuka were apparently just born loud, was all Sasuke could think. He refused to acknowledge Kiba’s claims or turn and the face him either. Currently the boy was also as smelly as he was loud, making the dubious joy of talking to him even more so.

Kiba was a loud mouth, a loud mouth who was currently fighting with Naruto for lowest academic achievement of the year. And he seemed proud of it? Naruto may not be the best student, but he had a lot working against him and he at least fucking tried to learn when Sasuke tutored him. Kiba, on the other hand, seemed almost proud to be scoring so low. He’s loudly proclaimed that book smarts didn’t make a ninja. Strength and power did.

It was ridiculous and if the boy wanted to maintain his “perfect sparring record” he’d avoid fighting Sasuke. The Inuzuka was strong, but he fought like Naruto, pure brawl. No thought or finesse. Just the power behind their swing. 

Sasuke was not intimidated by loud mouth bullies.

“I’m talking to you!”

“And I don’t care, now let go of me.”

“Or What?” is the snarled response.

Sasuke doesn’t hesitate if it’s a fight the boy wants, he’ll get it. Just not a fair one, they were training to be shinobi after all. As Kiba had grabbed Sasuke’s left wrist from behind to turn him around, Sasuke had an excellent opportunity to try a wrist hold on an actual opponent.

Sasuke faced Kiba then without answering popped Kiba’s straightened elbow with his right hand breaking Kiba’s hold on his own wrist by hyper extended the elbow.

A flowing twist of his previously captured wrist around Kiba’s arm sees Sasuke free from Kiba’s relaxing grip. But Sasuke is making a point, he won’t end it there.

Black mohawk shifting in the breeze, he ducks Kiba’s forceful if inexpert swing. And grabs Kiba’s other wrist as it swings by his head. Tucking his opponents arm behind their back and rotating the captured wrist, Sasuke has handily defeated the boy. Even if the child is still thrashing about, he cannot break free and is likely just straining his arm more.

Putting a little more pressure on the wrist stills Kiba’s squirming.

“Do you understand the difference between us now? Keep your hands off me in the future, dog-boy. Learn from your mistakes for once.”

Sasuke squeezes his wrist a bit before shoving the other boy forward and watching him lose his balance. Sasuke is almost immediately swarmed by the girl half of the class. His look of distress at the incoming herd of girls is easily seen, but ignored by them.

Sasuke is forced to beat a hasty retreat instead of gloating at his victory. Probably for the best, it will keep him humble when he realizes his first true rival had claimed vengeance against him for this day. Inuzuka Kiba had not taken his loss lightly and intended to see to it that the cat-toting “prodigy” got his. He’d get even when he got his partner pup from his mom next year.

Iruka had seen all this from the rooftop. He’d been prepared to stop the fight had it gotten out of hand, but Sasuke had held back surprisingly well. Kiba’s pride would be by far more strained than his wrist. Maybe it would do him some good to know it paid to think during your fights. Gut-instinct and raw power could only get you so far.

Now if only he could get Naruto to see the same thing…


	5. Year 4 part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Introducing Team GAI

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love Mighto Gai with all my heart, but Neji needs a solid slap to the face and a live badger thrown at him. Bless his heart.

Sasuke had not planned on having this much fun this Saturday. One of the smaller, giant-ass trees in Konoha had taken out a 10-foot section of the Uchiha perimeter fence and Sasuke had to arrange some help in fixing it.

He’d had the new materials made from the bastard tree that had caused the problem in the first then submitted a D-rank request to the mission office for some assistance putting it all back up. Genin teams were significantly cheaper than contractors and the council was still monitoring/choking his spending money. And well, Genin were cheap labor.

He’d received a missive that the a Genin team had been assigned, but had not expected this level of entertainment to come with them. When he’d been told Team Gai would respond, it hadn’t occurred to him to do more than make a double helping of curry to feed his sublet minions. He didn’t think he should brace himself for the sheer energy barreling down on him. 

So far, the Jōnin in charge had not only run into the compound fast enough to leave a dirt trail he’d then executed an abrupt about-face within shouting distance of Sasuke’s porch. Leaving Sasuke more than a little confused, but also wondering if he’d realized his Genin were not behind him.

Yep. He forgot. Annnd there they were again, all together this time.

All out of breath too, except for their very loud Sensei. He was encouraging them with all sorts of acrobatics and used the word “Youth” in some form or another about five times. It was hilarious. To him at least. The Genin looked less amused.

One of the Genin was obviously a Hyūga. No mistaking the sister Dōijutsu to the Sharingan. Sasuke could hide his clan techniques when they were not in use. The Hyūga were not so lucky. It gave them all this creepy empty-eyed stare that was very disconcerting. Though the clan head on the council seemed to like to use it to bother people. Sasuke was attempting to kill him with kindness in return.

It unsettled the douche canoe greatly, apparently an Uchiha being anything other than stoic was cause for alarm. Pft, Sasuke would not be dictated to on the proper decorum of an Uchiha, by someone who had never born the name. He’d hold out hope that this kid was more like Hinata-chan, but that face was saying “This is beneath my dignity and I hate you for it” already.

To borrow a phrase from the newly met Gai-sensei, “most unyouthful.”

The rest of the party were far more interesting and welcoming. So Sasuke decided that he’d ignore the Hyūga ass. Spite.

The kunoichi was named Tenten and she was a budding weapon specialist, who carried her assortment of weapons in a large scroll, Sasuke was hoping she like Fūinjutsu too. There should be more than one person per village who could see the appeal. Sasuke decided he liked her immediately, common sense and manners were a rarity here, and learned her family even ran a weapons shop in town.

He had promised to visit. The kunai and shuriken in the storehouse of the Uchiha Compound would run out eventually. And he might find Naruto a cool graduation gift there too.

The other Genin was another boy whose enthusiasm could rival Naruto’s in a pinch. An aspiring Taijutsu master, like his sensei who loudly proclaimed he too would be a great shinobi of Konoha one day. You had to admire that kind of determination. That or Sasuke was just especially susceptible to it in general. First Naruto, now Lee. But that bit about Taijutsu might be relevant to his (Naruto’s) interest.

Then came their sensei. And, wow. No one could beat Mighto Gai at introductions. If he hadn’t been keeping his Sharingan abilities quiet, Sasuke would have been tempted to see if that *ping* off the shine of Gai’s teeth wasn’t some sort of auditory Genjutsu. It was…something.

Sasuke introduced himself and expanded on their mission. Get the fence set back up before sun-down so Sasuke could fix his ward chain and keep random animals from wandering in.

“Yosh! We are honored that you’d ask us to help you young Sasuke! Myself and my youthful Genin are a new team and as such are Thankful for this Excellent Opportunity to Unite and Prove ourselves.”

“That’s uh great, I’ll show you the fence?”

But Gai kept going. “If we do not get this fence up before dinner, we will run 100 laps around the village.”

And then Lee got in on it, much to Sasuke’s concerned amusement. He was just along for the ride at this point.

“But Sensei! Sasuke-kun must still replace the warding on each post we can’t let him do that in the dark!” Which it would suck having to do intricate ward work in the dark, but Sasuke had simply intended to do that as they got sections attached, not all at once.

“Ah, well actually I had a plan for that—” he tried to cut in.

“How Right You Are Lee! How Could We Be So Inconsiderate Of Our Fine Host? We will have the fence done by LUNCH or we will run 200 laps around the village!” It was so strange to listen to Gai-sensei, you could _hear_ the capitalization in his sentences.

“That’s not really necess—and they’re gone…Do they know where they’re going?”

Tenten answer was a tired sounding “no” through her fingers, palm resting on her face. Sasuke had to ask at this point.

“This is normal behavior for them?” He only received slow nods in return. Poor dears, they weren’t used to these shenanigans, yet either. They’d get better if not more tolerant later…Sasuke shook the strange thought from his head. He still got them from time to time and he only got headaches if he tried to figure out how he knew the thing. Not worth it. Moving on.

“Well, I’m sure they’ll catch up. I’ve got all the materials stored in some scrolls by the work area. If you’ll follow me?” Sasuke led the less energetic members of Team Gai to the broke part of the fence.

“I’ve already got the wards written down on a separate scroll here. I can transfer them to each plank before you get them in place. I really just needed some extra hands to get everything upright.”

To his delight, Tenten showed marked interest in how he intended to transfer the ward from scroll to the wooden planks. It was a method he’d developed himself, so he was kind of proud to show it off. He’d unrolled both scrolls and was preparing to show Tenten when Gai and Lee showed back up.

After the noise died down again Sasuke demonstrated how to transfer the seal by making three seals: Rat, Dragon, Hare. The he placed his right hand on the seal directly, drawing it up his arm. Once there, without removing his hand from the original scroll, he placed his opposite hand on the plank he needed to ward. Slamming it down to place the seal as it raced across his shoulders and down his left arm.

Sasuke stood back up and shook his arms out. “Like that. I’m hoping to get good enough to do that without seals soon, but this is too important to experiment with right now.”

Tenten shouts “That’s amazing! Most people would just apply the seal on the paper to the wood—”

“Yes, but that means you also have to ward the paper from erosion or water damage and I have too much fence for that. Besides, Matsuo is always saying you should never use 2 seals when one will suffice.” Sasuke finishes for her. He then staggers under the weight of a heavy clap to his shoulder from Gai-sensei.

“What a remarkable seal technique young Sasuke! You’ll make a fine shinobi with hard work like that! You see Lee? Hard work and dedication can take you wherever you want in life!”

Sasuke is a little embarrassed by the praise, but also grateful that Gai-sensei sees it that way. So many have people suggested that Sasuke is wasting his natural talent with Ninjutsu to pursue a “lesser” jutsu. Lesser his pale ass.

He thanks Gai-sensei for his praise after Lee gets done amping himself up. Neji, he can’t help but noticing, is making a sour looking face at him. Here it comes. Sasuke figures he shouldn’t have been quick to assume the Hyūga would just follow his Sensei’s lead.

“A novel ability, but your talents are wasted in mere Fūinjutsu.” Neji, practically sneered out.

In one sentence he’d destroyed Sasuke’s personal mission today to simply ignore his over-dignified ass. Sasuke, rolled his eyes very visibly.

“Yea? Well I happen to like challenging myself more than I like being told how easily something comes to me. I refuse to have my achievements lessened by people claiming my ‘natural talent’ made it easier for me than for others.” Sasuke was reassured that Neji got his pointed barb right where it hurt when he scowled fiercely back at him. He had the assholes number.

“Well Said Young Sasuke! You are a credit to your teachers. *sniff* I’m so HAPPY to find another generation filled to the brim with Youthful Passion!”

“I too am encouraged by your words Sasuke-kun! I will work Extra Hard to also Challenge myself with my Taijutsu, everyday!”

“Lee! Such Passion I see in you today!”

“Gai-sensei!”

“LEE!”

Sasuke just had to break his staring contest with Neji to see what on earth those two were doing over there. Kami above and below. They were crying…and hugging. Sasuke, was scared.

“Tenten-sempai? What are they doing?”

“Embarrassing me. *clap* Gai-sensei! We don’t have time for this again today” He could not have heard that right…again?...

“We promised we’d get Sasuke-kun’s fence up today. Sasuke-kun, please go ahead and transfer as many planks as you can to start off with?”

Sasuke agreed and edged around the mad duo.

They worked steadily after Sasuke got a head start with the warding. It wasn’t that big of a fence really and he had supplied tools as well. Again, he really just needed extra hands to get the sections standing and in place.

~~~~Construction Montage~~~~

When the last section was in place in was just in time for what might be a late lunch. Sasuke was insistent that they could not in fact run laps because its past noon. They hadn’t got here until late morning really and it was only 1:05. Really. Please, he’d made lunch to thank them he’d had to shout, banking on Gai-sensei not wanting to be rude. It’d worked and now Sasuke was returning with the promised food.

Sasuke had grabbed the larger pot of mild curry and a large bowl of rice to take down there, enlisting Matsuo, who’d gotten about as tall as Sasuke’s hip now, to carry the smaller pot of spicy curry. He couldn’t say why curry felt important to make today, just that it had felt the right way to thank Team Gai, specifically, for their help.

He’d even got Ichiro and Hibiki to help carry some dinner ware and a blanket to sit on. The twins were still new to him, but he’d agreed to add them to his team. Ichiro was already scary good with his tanto, and he was only going to get bigger. Sasuke figured having met their Dad, a bakeneko class Ninneko, Ichiro would eventually be big enough to use a full-size katana soon too.

Personality wise, Ichiro was louder and very gung-ho about sword play. He still lived at Fudeomori, so that he could continue training. Hibiki seemed content to live permanently with Sasuke as he’d shown up at the door, a lot like Matsuo had, about a week after Sasuke had received a request to speak with their father, Hiroki.

But Hibiki was pretty chill and preferred to use his claws and hypnotizing amber eyes to fight. He and Sasuke had even experimented with layering their Genjutsu together to make them more potent or hide an attack. Sasuke was pretty pleased with how it had gone.

Right now, though he was enforcing a team bonding moment and felt that they could also use a little more human interaction than they could get with just Sasuke and Naruto.

They got back down to the work sight to see the last section being put in place and secured. Which was great, all he and Matsuo would have to do is activate the wards again now. That would just take charging the new ones up completely and the last bit of seal on the end to link it up. A great stopping point.

“Hey, I’m back with lunch! I hope you guys like curry? There’s plenty of mild and some spicy if anyone is feeling adventurous today.”

“You made curry?” Gai-sensei asks in an oddly serious voice. Sasuke doesn’t understand why this would be the thing to make him stand still, but whatever. Sasuke had the recipe from Akimichi Etsuko, Chōji’s mom, she’d said it was good hearty food for growing and grown shinobi. Sasuke relays as much to Gai who relaxes at the mention of Etsuko’s influence.

Unknown to Sasuke, Gai had been warned about Sasuke’s sometimes uncanny knowledge of minor details. Yamanaka Inoichi had asked him to take this mission with his team, with the knowledge that Sasuke could get rather upset when he was questioned deeply about where he’d learned this or that weird bit of knowledge. Truthfully, he did not know and racking his brain was often a painfully ordeal of facing the reality of what his own brother had done to him.

In light of that info and understanding how being pressed for answers he literally could not give could hurt the boy, he’d accepted and spent the afternoon making sure his precious Genin did not overdo their passionate inquiries or ask something rude. But, just for a second, he’d been caught in surprise. Curry was his absolute favorite dish and there was no way Sasuke could know that. But with the boy’s explanation it made sense. If he’d been in contact with the Akimichi then they’d clearly been the source of the curry. Chōza had often thanked them for a hard day’s work with a nice curry from home. It made sense that young Sasuke would ask the Akimichi what a proper lunch for a Genin team and their Sensei should be.

This was not strange. There was an explanation. Most certainly.

“How Fortuitous! I trained under the great Chōza as a boy!”

His statement prompts a request for stories from at least 3 different directions and a subdued interest from the fourth. Gai and the rest enjoy their food, while Gai regales them with tales from his Genin days.

This was not how Sasuke saw his day going, but it was a great one all the same.

~~~~Later that Night~~~~

“Hey, Naruto. I talked to a Taijutsu master today. He thinks that maybe you should look into trying Kumite.”

“What’s that? Some kind of food.”

“*sigh* No, dork, it’s Taijutsu but a kind that relies on improv and quick thinking. It sounded like something you’d be good at. There’s some scrolls with forms and methods drawn out on it in your room.”

“Really? You’re the best ‘Suke!” Naruto runs off to check out his present and Sasuke pats himself on the back for the second time today.

Today had been a great day, Hyūga or no Hyūga.


	6. Year 4 part 3: The Clone Wars

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Last part before Team 7 is a thing.

“Damnit! I’m never going to get his right. Sasuke, heeeeellppp!” Naruto begged as both he and his best friend stared down at the pitiful bunshin. It looked either half-baked or completely done in. It was hard to say one way or the other.

“Okay, I think you’re either putting in too little chakra or too much. Not sure which, I’ll watch it with my Sharingan this time WHICH—”

“I know, I know, I’m never to tell anyone about ever. Promise, Just HELP.” Naruto had found out about Sasuke’s active Sharingan when he’d fallen asleep with Sasuke on the couch one night. Sasuke had had a nightmare and woke with his full Sharingan activated. It taken a few minutes for him to calm down and explain his eyes were fine. But he’d also threatened to ruin ramen for Naruto forever if he told anyone. Naruto refused to take the chance. Sasuke could hold one hell of grudge when he got worked up.

“Alright, give it one more go.”

Naruto spawned another clone, just as sickly as before. “Was that with less or more chakra?”

“Less”

“Hmmm, try again. Use more than the first time.”

Naruto pumped chakra into this clone, enough that swirls of it were visible for a brief second as he formed the seals and spoke it into …well life would be a strong word for this limp noodle.

“It definitely looks worse though, the second one at least was wiggling his head about. This one barely has a face.

I think you’re over-cooking them Naruto. Too much chakra per clone.”

“But the second one was as little chakra as I can use! The next test is in two weeks, ‘Suke. Urrggh”

Naruto angrily dismisses the clone and Sasuke drops his Sharingan to think. If the second clone was made with as little chakra as Naruto could use in one go, it still wasn’t low enough to not boil the clone. The Sharingan wasn’t as adept as reading chakra as the Byakugan, but with only clothes in the way it could easily make out the, frankly, terrifying amounts of Naruto had. He had as much as some Jōnin, let alone a recently 12-year-old.

What he lacked was definitely control then. Sasuke racked his brain for something about chakra training, sure Iruka-sensei had mentioned it at some point. Trees. They hadn’t tried tree walking in class because they were children and weren’t expected to have enough chakra to have control problems. Which was stupid in Sasuke’s opinion. They’d been shown henge, kawarimi (body swap), and clones. They were only E-ranked jutsu.

Maybe that was the problem. Naruto could actually do a decent Great Fire Ball ever since Sasuke had figured out how to use Genjutsu: Sharingan to show Naruto how it feels to cast the technique.

Come to think of it…that explained why, even though Naruto didn’t have an affinity for fire type jutsu, his Great Fire Ball was still very powerful. He could just pour chakra into it, way more than Sasuke needed to get the same effect, but it wouldn’t matter to Naruto who just had a shit ton to spare.

“I think I know what we need to do.”

Naruto lit up at that, he’d been sulkily drawing in the dirt of the Uchiha practice field, but bounced back up at Sasuke’s statement. He knew Sasuke would have an idea. Sasuke could usually figure out all the technical shit going on behind a jutsu. He was much better at explaining things than books or even Iruka-sensei was sometimes.

“Yea? Well? Tell me, teme, don’t hold it back. I’m dying here.”

“Drama Queen, we need to train your chakra control. Like that leaf exercise we did for like a week in class? It wasn’t really enough for you, clearly. And you skipped like half it to paint the Hokage tower, remember?”

“Yeeeaaa, that was awesome.”

“pft. Well we’re going to do something similar, but infinitely more useful. We are going to learn to walk up trees.”

“What?”

Sasuke explains to Naruto, in Naruto terms, what they are going to do. Tree-walking is very simple on paper, but doing it during battle can be challenging for new users. Basically, what needed to occur to stick to the tree is for the shinobi to place just enough chakra on the bottom to “stick” or cling to the tree. Having the right amount was key here. The chakra would automatically help you stick at the right amounts, but too much or too little and you’d lose your grip.

Naruto seemed to get the picture, now they just needed a tree and thankfully there were plenty within the Compounds boundaries. Sasuke dragged Naruto over to one without too many branches to impede their way. Telling Naruto to watch him closely he took out a kunai on impulse and raced to and then up the tree.

Sasuke was technically making this twice as hard on himself by wearing geta. He’d learned to adhere his shoes to his feet after years of accidentally kicking them off during Taijutsu practice. Sometimes, kicking them at an enemy was useful, but mostly it was inconvenient. So, he’d been practicing the technique enough to have a handle on it, but he’d also never tried to stick to his shoes AND something else.

He got about 8 feet up before his left foot started to slide out of his shoe. He immediately stabbed the kunai into the tree and backflipped off. Looking to Naruto,

“Beat that, dork.”

Naruto, sparked to the challenge just like Sasuke knew he would. Sasuke was very aware of their time limit and that they were essentially teaching themselves this technique with no pointers from someone who actually knew what to do. Naruto needed to put his single-minded focus to good use for once.

They took turns going up the tree. Naruto amping up his efforts anytime Sasuke managed to move his kunai higher up than Naruto’s keeping the competition alive.

It was hours before either of them gave up, as usual Sasuke’s endurance wasn’t up to Naruto’s monster stamina.

“Okay, I’m out. It’s like 7:30 and we haven’t even eaten lunch.”

“But ‘Suke, we—”

“We’ve got two weeks, Naruto. That’s one to master this and one to work on your clones.”

“Yea but we’ve got school and stuff to go to too.”

“Please, you basically live here we can train hard as soon as class is over. And don’t even think about skipping this week. We’re reviewing all week for the written exam and you NEED to study.”

Naruto whined some more, but it was half-hearted. Sasuke took that as a win and promised to make homemade ramen to celebrate moving their markers at least 12 ft up the tree today.

~~~~Retiring to the house for food~~~~

“We should ask Matsuo or Suzume if they have any pointers. The twins haven’t responded to my summons since yesterday or I’d ask them. I think they’re planning on signing on permanently soon. So, they’re tidying up their affairs in Fudeomori. Hopefully they’ll be here-here by graduation. I mean Hibiki practically lives here, so he’s probably just helping Ichiro move all his weapons, but that could take a week knowing Ichiro.”

“Yea? That’s great Sasuke. You and Suzu have really been busy getting your team together, huh?” Naruto was sitting at the island bar in the kitchen watching Sasuke cook by this point.

“It’s mostly Suzu, since she’s the one with the information network. Regular little spy that one.” Sasuke points his knife at a preening Suzume who always appreciates a good compliment. “I figure we’ll get hit up for a lot stealth and recon work when we’re Chūnin and such because of her. That and the Fūinjutsu work me and Matsuo do.”

“That so cool. Ne, ‘Suke. What do think I’ll be doing until I’m Hokage?”

“Being my tank so I have someone to hide behind after me and the pounce finish robbing them blind.”

That gets a bubble of laughter out of Naruto. Since they met, it’s always been him getting into trouble and Sasuke instigating, but ultimately staying out of it. It’s hilarious to think of Sasuke starting shit only to run them into Naruto. It would be nice to be able to acknowledge his friends outside of these walls. Because now, he couldn’t even pretend to know the Ninneko, though he was good friends with Suzu-chan and Matsuo.

“You got it Sasuke, it’ll be good training for being the Hokage later.”

“Sure, got to learn diplomacy somehow I reckon. Might as well be at sword point. I promise I won’t taunt anyone behind your back while you make friends.”

“Nobody believes that ‘Suke.” Naruto loved his friend, very much. But Sasuke could be a spiteful little shit as much as Naruto. He was just typically sneakier about it. And meaner. Naruto just wanted to force people to look him in the eye for once. Sasuke was usually making a point, sometimes a painful one.

Naruto was just glad Sasuke was his side.

~~~~Tree Masters~~~~

More than a week to the day the boys had mastered tree walking to a degree that they now could spar freely in the forest, bouncing from limb to limb between blows.

Then in between reviews of the written test, Sasuke quizzing Naruto on anything and everything, they practiced clones. Naruto repeatedly spamming sickly looking pale copies of himself until late. They were getting noticeably better. But they weren’t true clones yet.

The night before the exam, Naruto was up until dawn furiously making clone after clone. Sasuke had suggested that if Naruto just wore himself out the night before he’d only have so much chakra to make a clone anyway. It was a last-ditch effort, but they couldn’t figure out an alternative that’d work in the short time they had left.

Sasuke hadn’t even managed to stay awake as long Naruto tonight. Wiped out from researching possible seals to modify how much power Naruto could put into the clone. Naruto was happy to have a friend like Sasuke who put so much effort into helping him. He would get this right. He had to get this right. For his dream and for his friend. He couldn’t let Sasuke go back to being alone and stuff anymore than he could give up on being Hokage. Besides, if he could get the best rookie of their year to acknowledge him, then he could get the rest of Konoha to do the same in time. All he had to do was make one clone. It would be easy, it was so simple.

He's got this! Believe it!

~~~~~~ But He Didn’t, He Didn’t Got This. ~~~~~~

The day of their graduation had come and was almost at a close. Sasuke was certain he’d placed high in their written exam, Shikamaru might be the most intelligent kid in their class, but he never fucking tried. Ino and that Haruno girl were probably his main competition, though the Aburame kid was pretty good too academically. Well they would find out soon enough.

The physical exams were a lot easier on Naruto, though he’d actually finished the written test this time and that could only be a good sign. Sasuke ranked the highest in Taijutsu and though he was tempted to slack off, he contained himself. Iruka-sensei would know and more than likely call him out on it. Besides, Kiba hadn’t calmed down any in the last few months and now he was up to insulting the Ninneko. No one insulted Sasuke’s family.

Then it was time, their test scores were announced and both boys passed. Naruto, barely, but he passed. Sasuke was second overall and first in the boys, beating out Aburame Shino by a few points. Shikamaru half-assed his answers and everyone knew it, so he came in a respectable fifth.

The last test was a practical trial of three basic E-rank Ninjutsu.

Kawarimi: √√

Henge: √√

Bushin: √…??

Sasuke had been handed his Hitae and was waiting outside the school. Families were milling about and he’d gotten too many well wishers for his taste. Anything after Inoichi’s and the Akimichi’s sincere congratulations had sound fake and too much like ass-kissing for him. So, Sasuke hid in the tree with the plank swing and waited for his for his friend.

And waited…

The families had cleared out and the sun was setting, but still no Naruto. Sasuke quietly summoned Suzume, who had opted to stay home today. He asked her to check the classroom for Naruto. Sasuke was hoping the idiot hadn’t done something to piss Iruka off and get himself held back. Please let Naruto have passed.

Sasuke circled the building around the outside intending to sneak in his classroom’s window. He’d left his open earlier today. Suzu-chan could open it if not.

Sasuke quietly scaled the wall with chakra, clinging to the wall on hands and tiptoe he popped his head above the bottom of the window.

“Uh, Hi. Iruka-sensei…sup?”

“Sasuke, as happy as I am to see you, again, today. Why are you sending your summons to spy on an empty classroom?”

Sasuke looked around Iruka-sensei to belatedly see Suzume sitting primly on top of Iruka’s desk. That traitor. There probably wasn’t any use in lying then. Naruto did trust Iruka after all. They were fairly close by now.

“I was looking for Naruto. He didn’t come out after the Bushin…and I know how shit he is at them…”

A long sigh comes out of Iruka and he motions Sasuke to come in and stop hanging half out the window. Sasuke sits cross-legged on the desktop while Iruka leans against it further down.

“As an academy teacher I can’t share anything about another students academic standing or test results with you.”

Sasuke’s shoulders drop, thinking Iruka-sensei is going to stop there and tell him to leave.

“But as Naruto’s friend, things didn’t go well today for him. I have to stay behind and finish logging all the results so that I can submit my Genin team proposals to the Hokage by tomorrow.

It would be good to know that Naruto had another friend to talk to tonight. Maybe a place to stay with some good company.”

Iruka-sensei is giving Sasuke an almost pleading look. Iruka is banking on the few little things he’s noticed through the year. All the times he’s caught Naruto with some advanced seals. Things Naruto had never shown interest in or had the patience for. The times Sasuke summons had chosen to sleep on top of Naruto’s head or shoulder during the class, but not allowing anyone else to touch her. Naruto’s attempts to subtly get in the way every time the girls tried to corner Sasuke.

He’s relieved to see Sasuke nodding at him, a serious look on his face. Subdued but determined.

Sasuke understands. He understands that he couldn’t help his friend figure this out. That he couldn’t figure out a way, with all his supposed genius, to help Naruto make a bushin. There’s a moment to feel just awful, lower and more worthless than he’s felt in a while. Then he bucks up, Naruto won’t blame him and would undoubtedly try to cheer _Sasuke _up; determination renewed, Sasuke agrees to Iruka’s unasked request. 

“Yea, it would be good to not be alone tonight. Thanks Sensei! C’mon you traitor cat let’s find Naruto.”

Fast as they can both boy and summons are soon back out the window and running off towards the monument.

Iruka hopes that he finds Naruto. It’s not always the easiest thing to do and he speaks from experience. But if they are as close as he suspects then Sasuke probably has a better chance than most. And he just might be one of the few people Naruto wouldn’t hide from. He hopes.

~~~~Sunset~~~~

Sasuke is out of breath and no closer to finding Naruto than before. “Where *is* he?”

Matsuo runs up, just as winded as Sasuke in the moment. “No sign of him near the onsen, the comic store or the market, Boss.”

Sasuke pulls at his short hair, ruffling his hair further. “Crap. Suzume didn’t have any luck at the park, or the training grounds either!”

Matsuo pads over and pats Sasuke’s hip, “Maybe he’s just not ready to be found yet. We should go home and try in the morning.” Sasuke heaves a defeated sigh, but with some additional nudging and Suzume’s unsuccessful return, he gives in.

“Okay, I’m going to start researching ways to help, maybe I can figure out a limit seal for this. Something that only activates on Bushin? That might be too specific…” He rambles on as Suzu jumps to his shoulders and Matsuo starts pushing him in the direction of the compound. Both of them too used to Sasuke’s tired rambles about research to really respond.

Matsuo just keeps a steady pressure against Sasuke’s back to keep him moving. “I meant sleep or eat, but okay research works too.” Suzu lets out an equally exasperated ‘MrRrrr’ in agreement. Sometimes, working with Sasuke was more like taking care of the boy. He could be so mature about most things then forget to eat all day. Humans were so weird.

They arrive at the compound after the sun finishes dipping below the horizon. Sasuke is herded past the front gates, still muttering ideas about chakra seals. He’s nearly face first into the closed sliding door of his home when he notices the note stuck to it. It’s dark orange paper with ‘Sasuke’ written across it in sunshine yellow. Only one person could commit such crimes against color theory. He grabs the note and reads:

> “JERK!
> 
> Don’t stay up all night worrying about me! I know you know I failed the bushin, even with your help. BUT Don’t worry, I mean it! Mizuki-sensei told me about another way to get my Hitae and I’m gonna do it, Believe IT!
> 
> I’ll come show you as soon as I get it. Maybe in the morning though, I got meet him all the way at training field 6. That’s like super far. But got this, Dattebayo!”

What the fuck, is all Sasuke can think. How many times has he told Naruto that Mizuki is sketchy as all hell??? There is no other to become a Genin, Sasuke would have heard of it by now. What with the way everyone and their mother flaunts *his* supposed genius at him. The council at the very least would have suggested he just go ahead and do this, he re-reads that part, scroll thing?

Sasuke is about to turn around and take the note to Iruka-sensei or Inoichi, whoever he could find first really. Anyone who would believe him and not get Naruto in trouble, which actually probably limits that to just Iruka-sensei. He’s stopped by a loud alarm, wailing across the village.

It’s the security breach alarm…Naruto! Sasuke starts to run to the gates, but falters as Suzu digs her claws into his neck. Right, that particular alarm means to stay in your homes. He makes a snap decision. He holds the note up to Suzu, who gently takes it. Knowing what Sasuke needs. She buts her head against his as she darts off into the night.

Suzu is fast as lightening and sneakier than any ninja. She’ll get the note to Iruka and he’ll know what to do. No one would bother stopping a cat a night when the alarm’s going off anyway, even if they noticed she was a summons she’s not who they’re looking for.

Sasuke decides that it won’t do him any good to stand on the porch and wait uselessly. Naruto will get out of this. And when he does, Sasuke will have a backup plan for getting him a Hitae. Yea that’s a nice solid plan. Sasuke isn’t sure what he’ll do if he has to be Genin without Naruto. It’ll make the dork so sad and Sasuke is really shit at empathy. He briefly wonders as he walks inside, if prank seals are an acceptable conciliation prize or if he should just buy Naruto his weight in ramen. One can’t really go wrong with ramen, but that’s what he got Naruto for his birthday…hmmm well he’s got till morning to figure it out.

~~~~Across Town~~~~

Suzume finds Iruka scrambling into his gear and grabbing weapon pouches from the rack near his door. She “MAOW” very loudly into his window, startling him into throwing a shuriken. Suzu gives him a dirty look from the floor where she’d jumped for safety.

“Suzume? What are you—” He stops as she pushes the note into his reaching hand, insistently shoving it at him until he reads it.

“Mizuki is involved in this mess? Doesn’t he realize this will turn the whole village against…” he trails off without finishing his sentence. Overcome with fury at what his ‘comrade’ had done, apparently with intent.

“Suzume, go home, tell Sasuke to stay put and that I’m going to go save Naruto.” He dashes out the door without another word. Leaving Suzume behind and his door wide open in haste.

Suzume gives a wide yawn and runs home, knowing that Sasuke will stay put only for so long. She privately hopes the sensei will be able to get Naruto out of trouble before Sasuke decides to do it himself. Her partner is a little over protective of his friends. Especially Naruto. It might come down to Matsuo having to seal Sasuke to the floor.

~~~~Hours later~~~~

A tired but pleased Naruto trots through the streets, heading straight for the Uchiha compound. He’s excited to see Sasuke’s reaction to his new Hitae, well it’s new to him and all the more precious because it originally belonged to Iruka.

And now that he’s a full-fledged ninja there’s nothing stopping him from visiting a fellow Genin on the night of their graduation. The village can’t split them up now or shun Sasuke for hanging out with him, not really. They might, and Naruto crosses his fingers and wishes hard for it, even be on the same Genin team if they’re lucky.

Naruto hops the gate as he reaches it, learning tree walking hadn’t helped him learn standard bushin, but it was really handy in getting around the village. He never questions why the clearly painted seals on the gates and fence never activate. Will never, not for him. Naruto had long ago accepted Sasuke as his person and for the first time been accepted whole-heartedly in return. Iruka now called him his little brother, but Sasuke had been his first friend.

“SASUKE! I did it! We’re going to be Genin together! Sasuke?” Naruto shoves the door open as he reaches it wondering why his friend hadn’t responded. He doesn’t think Sasuke would actually fall asleep, not without knowing for sure Naruto was okay. Sasuke was a bit of a worry wort like that.

However, as he enters the house, he sees why Sasuke hadn’t answered. Matsuo, Suzu-hime, Hibiki, and Ichiro are all sitting on top of a very grumpy looking Sasuke, who is lying face first in the floor. Matsuo is the first to shout “Naruto! Congrats!” but the rest quickly follow. Sasuke, buried under his full pounce with Suzu perched on his head still manages to look venomous as Naruto dissolves into helpless belly laughs.

Matsuo checks a paper seal he’d been sitting on and at some signal the rest of the pounce all book it out of the house. Matsuo is the only one left as he hops up and then starts making a run for it past Naruto, shouting “Better run Naruto, that Jizō seal is only going to last for a more seconds. He figured out how to get around it!” Matsuo hits all fours just as Sasuke manages to move and regain his speech.

“I hope you enjoyed being a Genin for the past 10 minutes, because you are both DEAD.”

Sasuke chases them both out the door as Naruto trips off the porch and into a run. Only the laughter from all three softens the chase into something playful. As ninjas, even newly minted baby-ninja, play hard.

Out of breath and finally out of energy or the flames of vengeance, they collapse under the tree they’d used to learn tree-climbing. In a rush Naruto tells Sasuke of what happened with Mizuki and Iruka. He can’t stop himself from demonstrating his new special jutsu either. Easily impressing Sasuke by learning a B-rank jutsu all on his own.

“That’s awesome Naruto! Hey so it’s a physical copy, right? Make one and check your pockets! Does it copy all your stuff too??”

Sasuke still breathless from the run still manages to make Naruto grin as he starts coming up with ways to make his new shadow clones even cooler. Naruto decides he probably lucked out big time meeting Sasuke. There’s nothing to stop him now from just glomping the shit out his friend, so he does. Sasuke doesn’t even pause in his rant, he’d moved on from being impressed to yelling about being so “fucking worried, you’d run off and died on me!”, just uses the arm not pinned to his side to gesture freely.

But then, abruptly quieter, “I’m really proud of you Naruto. You figured out your own way to get where you’re going,” then much louder while pinching viciously at Naruto’s cheek, “But don’t you EVER, do something so Bullheaded again!”

“AHHH TEME, THAT HURTS!”

“GOOD, LEARN FROM IT, PLEB” Naruto wiggles free and is chased into the house while the pounce watches safely from the roof.

~~~~~End Part 1~~~~~


	7. The Dream Team: Or Not

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sasuke is a rude ass little kid in this chapter. He has his reasons, being stalked and harassed by a hoard of girls when you are BabyAce is stressful and #NotFun. 
> 
> But there were nicer ways to approach it. 
> 
> Bonus: Sakura comes to her senses and starts fighting for her own goals in the end.

On one hand Sasuke was ecstatic about Iruka-sensei’s decision to place him on Team 7. On the opposite hand he was fucking furious with his sensei for placing him on Team 7.

Sasuke was glad he’d be on the same team as Naruto, someone had to keep him out of trouble and all, not to mention he and Naruto already made a great team.

But Iruka-sensei had also placed them with Haruno Sakura. Which worked out great for Naruto, he’d had a crush on her for ages. Nothing says “Love me” like sharing some near-death experiences. For Sasuke it wasn’t even close to a victory though. Haruno was one of the worst participants in the (Let’s Annoy and hinder Sasuke’s learning) Sasuke-Fanclub. And worse she was barely a functional ninja. She was destined to be a librarian or something most likely or…

She was going to them all killed.

Sasuke wasn’t sure which yet, but he could feel her uselessness already. She’d started the day by shoving a drooling Naruto out of her way so she could simper next to Sasuke and start a fight with Ino about sitting with him. Sasuke had had to drag Naruto back into his seat and rudely told both girls to beat it. Shocking them both into silence, even if they didn’t leave.

He’d checked Naruto over and then to make a point, had very visibly draped Suzume around Naruto’s shoulders and told him in a stern tone to not disturb his partner. Though Naruto hadn’t really stopped smiling since last night, the wattage increased as Sasuke pretty much told the whole class that Naruto was important enough to be in charge of his precious NinNeko’s safety.

He’d then attempted to ignore the building riot as all the other girls tried to shout Naruto down for hogging his attention. Like he’d give them the time of day with or without Naruto here.

Naruto had tried to escape the yelling by crawling along the desk to squat in front of Sasuke. Sasuke had closed his eyes and was rubbing the bridge of his nose, trying to keep his temper, and didn’t notice Naruto’s proximity until someone bumped Naruto, making him lose his balance and causing the blonde to smack into Sasuke’s face with his own.

They both wound up on the floor and Suzu “Maow-ed” loudly at having to jump off the ever-warm Naruto. Sasuke had struggled to his feet and waited for silence to reign before looking down at Naruto. The whole class was clearly waiting for him to be annoyed or shout.

Sasuke just sighed and deadpanned “Naruto, we’ve talked about this. Consent is sexy, remember?” causing Naruto nearly wet himself laughing so hard. Sasuke, equally amused if not so expressive about it, had helped him up and shoved them back into their usual desk as Iruka shouted for order. Unfortunately, he then started shouting their teams and dividing them up, before he could insist Haruno go away. But she had grabbed the seat on the _other_ side of Naruto, so there was that at least.

Just as the boys shared an eager highfive, Iruka had brought the mood down for one of them. Sasuke had leaned around a celebrating Naruto at the announcement of Haruno’s inclusion into their team. He made his most disgruntled face at her, hoping she understood she was not welcomed. Sasuke was intelligent enough on his own and for Naruto most days, they did not need a paper-ninja fouling up their dynamic.

Suzume shared his opinion and hissed at the pink-haired girl to let her know.

The effectiveness was probably lessened since Haruno, too, was celebrating being placed on Team 7.

Ino had to remind him that it could be worse by shouting “Why does Forehead, get to be with Sasuke-kun?” Kami he hated being called that. All this making it more difficult to decide if this was a gift or a curse.

Iruka-sensei must have been feeling tolerant since he explained that Sakura’s lack of physical prowess was balanced by Sasuke’s and Naruto’s proficiency and likewise Naruto’s lack of academic prowess was balanced by the other members of his team. That’s what teams were meant to be, a balanced group who could help and support each other.

Which Sasuke scoffed at, Haruno wasn’t going to help or support the team, she was just going to get in his way. In Naruto’s way and probably her own way too. How could they trust her to do her part when she couldn’t even get her head out of her ass long enough to notice he didn’t like her like that. He didn’t like ANY girl like that. They were 12 for fuck’s sake!

While Iruka handed out the rest of the team assignments, Sasuke planned.

Either Haruno had to be set straight and now or he had to get her off his team. Iruka hadn’t said that the assignments were set in stone, but the sensei could be tough to negotiate with and was all about giving people chances.

Damn him, Sasuke thought sourly.

It was going to be easier to just set Haruno straight. He’d need to get her away from both Naruto and the adults though. He knew himself enough to know that this wasn’t going to be a quiet talk.

Iruka handed him what he needed to accomplish that soon after it crossed his mind. The sensei had to go brief their Jōnin instructors as well as see the Hokage, so they had a few hours free before they had to be back here. Good.

As soon as Iruka-sensei released them, Sasuke grabbed Naruto by the shoulder and asked him to grab lunch and meet back here in an hour or so. He then yanked Sakura over to him by her shirt and yelled over the din “Team Meeting, follow me and try not to get lost.” Naruto had already vaulted out the window leaving Sasuke and Sakura to shove through the crowd of children leaving through the door.

~~~~~~

Sakura was blushing, Sasuke-kun had touched her! He wanted her to follow him somewhere private too! She couldn’t control her heart rate and she thought she might be able to light a fire from her face alone, it burned so hot. (Inner: SHANNARO! INO-PIG IS GOING TO BE SO JEALOUS)

Distracted she almost missed Sasuke ducking down a narrow alleyway that headed towards the outer wall of the village, perhaps they were going to one of the parks? One that anyone could wander into really. That was not where she had hoped they were going.

Sasuke was stalking ahead of her and his cat was staring, unblinking, at her from his shoulder. All the girls knew that cat by now, it was so black that it blended into shadows and black hooded vest Sasuke always had on. It was so tiny but it could and would claw the crap out of anyone that got too close. Nearly all the girls in their year had tried to bribe the thing into letting them pet it, but none had succeeded. And Sasuke had just LET Naruto hold her today! The cat hadn’t even looked mad about it, it had purred even, Sakura had heard it.

It was messing with her world view a little. She had always thought Sasuke was a mysterious loner, a tough if broody genius who must have trouble connecting with people. It was why the girls always approached him, he wouldn’t talk to anyone else willingly. Except--except Naruto apparently, he had spoken to Naruto like they were already friends, the thought made her see red.

What was so special about Dumb Ol’Naruto? He was always interrupting class with pranks and he was rude to all the teachers. Why would Sasuke-kun want to be his friend? She startled when an arm, Sasuke’s it turned out, grabbed her and yanked her down a different alleyway.

She’d have to prove that she was much better company, she assumed. She could talk about all sorts of things with Sasuke and she’d have lots of time to prove what a good match they’d make since they were on the same team. (Inner: suck it INO-PIG)

Sakura nearly ran into Sasuke as he stopped at a park bench near a quiet edge of the park. Before she could apologize, he jerked his head at the bench and gruffly told her to sit down. “We need to talk”

Sakura couldn’t believe her ears, what could Sasuke-kun need to talk to her about? She thought shyly maybe he had noticed her in class and now that they were on a team together, he wanted to say something? Maybe he’d even—oh she couldn’t even think about it! She blushed again and squealed to herself as she bounced into the seat.

~~~~~

Meanwhile Sasuke was trying to not to blow up or throw up at her girly blushing antics. Whatever she thought was happening wasn’t and she was in for a rude awakening.

“Sasuke-kun, you can tell me whatever is you want to say! I’m listening.” Sasuke kind of freaking doubted it.

“Right, listen. I’m trying to be nice about this, but I need you to _actually_ listen me. I. Don’t. Like. Girls! Like at all, Haruno. I need you to lay off the creepy stalker shit and not drag the team down okay? I need to know that you’re going to be more than just a deadweight in the field. If you can’t pull your shit together, I’m going to ask Iruka to swap you out with someone else. Someone less useless.”

~~~~~

Useless? Stalker? What did Sasuke mean he didn’t like girls? And…and she wasn’t deadweight! She had the highest scores on any test, she was the smartest Kunoichi in their grade. She stuttered that out in an explanation to Sasuke, trying to get him to see they were meant to be on a team together.

All she got in return was a derisive scoff. He looked so offended she had even suggested it. “So? You read the manual and a lot of dull theory books, same. When have you EVER tried to do anything with that knowledge huh? When have you ever given a fuck about the field training huh? All you ever did was half-ass it or stand on the sidelines and cheer at me like a lunatic. Like my accomplishments were somehow for your benefit. Newsflash, being a shinobi takes real physical effort too, you can barely keep up with me in town, how do you plan run missions where time is short? Even Naruto is a better shinobi, physically, than you are.”

Sakura hadn’t realized that the fast walk here had been a test, though now that she thinks about it Sasuke had taken the long way here. He was trying to see if I could keep up, she realized. And I nearly lost him before we even really started. He must be disappointed in me, I have to make it up to him.

“I—I’m really sorry Sasuke-kun. I’ll try harder, you’ll be proud of me.” Sasuke made a face like he was in pain.

“That’s not the point, Haruno! I want someone who actually wants to be a Shinobi! NOT A HOUSEWIFE. I will not EVER marry you or date or whatever it is you think is going to happen between us. I need a teammate NOT A CHEERLEADER. You have to—forget it you’re not even listening to me. None of you stupid girls EVER listen to me.”

“That’s not true, Sasuke-kun! I’m a great listener!” She tried to grab his arm, he was upset and a good girlfriend would comfort her boyfriend at times like these. But that was the last straw for Sasuke’s limited patience. He shoved her back into the bench seat and growled out.

“NO. No you aren’t and no you don’t! If you listened to me, you’d realize that this stupid fantasy of yours is just that, a fantasy. I’ve already told you, I don’t like girls! ANY GIRLS. But right now? I specifically don’t like you!” Sakura’s gasp was sharp and brittle, but Sasuke had a lot of frustration built up and he was going to yell about this now. “None of you know anything about me, but all of think you know what’s best for me? Who’s best for me?

HOW? None of you know a fucking thing about me! You all just make shit up about ‘Sasuke’s favorite kind of woman’ like any of you have a clue. Not a single one of you has ever tried to just have a conversation with me.”

Sasuke is breathing like he’s run a mile, but the words are just tumbling out of his mouth at this point. “Did any of you stop to think how it felt to be mobbed anytime I did something at school? Did any of you stop to think how fucking creepy it was for me to be stalked all over town by a whole herd of you lunatics? NO. Because you kept doing it, even when I asked you stop, even when I asked to be left alone.”

Sakura is shamed and devastated, she’s starting to think that Sasuke isn’t just mad, he’s hurt. She’s not feeling so great herself. What he said is true, he had asked them to leave him alone. She’d thought he was such a bad-boy loner for that, but it hadn’t deterred her. Had she really overstepped so badly?

“You treat me like some sort of prize at the end of graduation you know that right? Like I’m just a thing, something to be won so you can lord it over the other girls. I’m a fucking person. I demand to be treated like one.”

“Sasuke-kun…I’m so sorry. I really didn’t realize you felt that way.” Sakura whispers out. Her voice small. She feels bad that she made Sasuke feel that way. She’d pushed Sasuke into nearly hating her it sounded like. She felt her eyes water and quickly overflow. What was she going to do?

“You should have. I said it enough times and all of you ignored me. I would have loved to be friends with some of you too. But your life goal is to be a housewife and that’s nothing I can give you. I want to be shinobi, a real one.

If you want to be protected and coddled by someone, you should be nicer to Naruto. He’d do all that for you, you know. Protect you and, god help me, kiss you. Ugh. But that’s not for me.

I have plans and so does Naruto, you’ve heard his. We have to be strong to get where we are going. To make things better for Konoha. We can’t carry any deadweight around. Think about it, if you’re not in it for you, _why_ are you here?” The last is more of an emphatic whisper than the enraged roar he’d started with, but it’s no less upsetting to hear that note of hurt come from him.

And then he leaves. Just stalks off into the park. Like…like he doesn’t care…

Sakura broke into quiet sobs at that. She was not deadweight (Inner: WHO DOES HE THINK HE IS?) Screams a very unladylike part of her that’s she’s trying to ignore, but she had had a dream once too. One that didn’t have anything to do with Sasuke at all. Before she’d ever met him. She’d wanted to be a real Kunoichi once. One who’d be remembered and respected just like the famous Sanin Tsunade-sama.

Tsunade-sama was also probably the kind of Kunoichi that Sasuke would want to be friends with too.

If she thought about it, she had stopped training her hardest after she had let that go. Because she’d heard rumors that Sasuke only liked quiet, demure, slim featured girls with long pretty hair. Now that she knew what she did, because there was no doubt that Sasuke had been deathly serious, she also knew that rumor was just that.

If she thought about it, some girl who already had those features had probably started that rumor too. How could she have been so stupid?

She let herself cry, she deserved to be able to mourn a dead dream. And it was well and truly dead to her. She’d be lucky if Sasuke wouldn’t find a way to replace her with someone else. Maybe not today, but she had in fact read the manual, Jōnin sensei could swap out team members if one wasn’t working out or were injured. She didn’t want that to happen.

Sasuke had not been gentle in telling her exactly what he hated about her, but she could do something about this. Sasuke didn’t want any deadweight, well the next hero medic of Konoha wouldn’t be deadweight. She’d show that broody, angsty asshole. She’d even be nice to Naruto if that’s what it took. But Sasuke wasn’t going to keep getting to look down on Kunoichi just because of her.

And maybe, just maybe, she could still be friends with Sasuke. He had looked almost as hurt as she felt at the end. Especially when he said they treated him like a prize, ‘like something to be won’ he’d said. She wouldn’t do that anymore, she promised herself. She wouldn’t like it if someone did that to her.

She was the smartest Kunoichi of her age, she could be a Hero Medic like Tsunade-hime AND be friends with Sasuke and Naruto. The world could just try to stop her. (Inner: SHANNARŌ!) She wiped her face off and collected herself. She would let those dumb boys see her cry anymore. She was ready for them and this Jōnin sensei.

Meet Kakashià

Back at the Academy, Sasuke stomped in glaring for all he was worth and found Naruto sitting in their usual seat. Naruto was already chowing down on some ramen. Sasuke should have guessed that’s what they’d be having for lunch, since all he told Naruto was ‘Get food, I’ll be back in a few hours.’ He grabs his window seat as Suzu-chan abandons her shoulder perch to go lay across Naruto’s shoulders again, his higher body temperature too tempting to miss since he was sitting still for once.

Sasuke opened his own to go container but can’t seem to work up much of an appetite at the moment. He’d spent about an hour trying to cool down and vent some of his anger at the sheer amount of _stupid_ coming off Haruno. He didn’t have high hopes that his yelling had turned things around, it wasn’t how he had planned to go at it.

Haruno had always been a very logical sounding person in class, at least when she was focused on learning and NOT him. He’d been hoping to bank off that and get her to see reason. 

That went out the door when she couldn’t even stop daydreaming long enough to follow him to a secluded part of a nearby park. He’d had to grab and redirect her like three times.

But even he knew he shouldn’t have outright blamed her for all the girls in their year’s behavior, Haruno had never been the worst offender anyway. Fuck, he was going to have to apologize for that. Sometimes being in therapy sucked, it taught you how to sort through shit mentally. It made it really hard to live in denial somedays. Stupid brain. He’d have to tell Naruto why Haruno looked like she’d been crying too. Why did he have to befriend the bouncing moral compass?

Better get it over with.

“Hey Naruto?”

“Mnf?”

“I may have, kind of, possibly, made Sakura cry a teensy bit.”

“WPPHFT!”

“Gross, chew your food and swallow. You might not want to get your hopes up for her staying.” Sasuke then endured getting sprayed with ramen and yelled at for a good ten minutes. Naruto made him promise to apologize to Sakura-chan and Sasuke finagled the stipulation that she had treat both of them better to get one. Otherwise she’d probably just take it as permission to keep on as she was. Sasuke couldn’t help the shudder that thought caused. Blergh.

But a promise was a promise, he’d at least apologize for the yelling. She hadn’t deserved that.

They ate in peace after that. Watching the other kids filter back in.

When Haruno Sakura did show up, she was quiet as she made her way up to Sasuke and Naruto. Her eyes were dry but still a little puffy. She didn’t look as cowed as she had on that park bench, for which Sasuke was grateful, it meant he was less likely to be attacked by an angry Naruto.

“Ano, Naruto-kun? May I sit?”

Naruto long done with his own meal and Sasuke’s left overs thankfully has nothing left to spit on her. Though his wheezing gape at her and quick check with Sasuke to make sure this is real wasn’t any more graceful.

“Sure Sakura-chan! Always!” Sakura is then treated to Naruto’s brightest grin. Sasuke gives an amused grunt, but doesn’t say anything against her staying either. If she’s willing to treat Naruto like a person and actually try to be a shinobi worth the name, Sasuke will put up with whatever else she comes up with too. It’s the least he can do, it’s nearly an apology in itself.

The last of their class arrived, Kiba as usual when it wasn’t Naruto, and the Jōnin start showing up shortly after. Calling out team numbers and introducing themselves before leaving.

Naruto starts chatting away at Haruno and Sasuke watches in hidden glee as her eyes start to glaze over. Naruto can get to talking pretty fast when he’s excited, but still manage to say absolutely nothing. Sasuke is just as guilty for tuning him out, when he can’t convince the other boy to slow down enough for someone else to participate in the conversation.

Instead of rescuing Haruno he just decides to test her resolve, see how long she can put up with Naruto at his least calm. She manages to stay semi focused for an astonishingly long time too. Long enough for them to be the last people in the room. Sasuke commends her for that feat, but decides it’s time to find something to do.

Sasuke starts casually rifling through Naruto’s pockets, looking for the tags he asked him to grab on his way to get lunch. Sasuke’s actions still don’t cause Naruto to stop talking for a second. But he can tell Haruno notices, especially when he shoves hand into Naruto’s jacket, checking his hidden inside pockets instead.

They have storage seals sown into them, it’s Sasuke’s own handy work. The jacket is new, an early grad gift from Sasuke to Naruto. It’s mostly black with neon orange stitched seals into it and the cuffs, collar, and inside liner are all Naruto’s ridiculously bright signature orange as well. Sasuke had bought it and the matching black tank top that he’d added a dark burnt-orange steel-mesh top (and stitched those together). And after sewing the Uzumaki swirl patch to the back it’d been perfect. The new outfit is completed with black pants with some reinforced orange tiger stripes across the thighs and cuffs.

Naruto had loved it. It was all sturdy ninja-wear that moved freely and could endure their future training.

Sasuke had some nifty dangling earrings that Naruto had painted to look like the Uchiha fan. Sasuke was pretty sure they’d been bottle caps at one point, but he loved them all the same. He’d made sure Naruto knew that too, he’d absolutely refused to take them off since putting them in last night. It was the only gift he could remember someone making for him after all. He refuses to count anything the fan-girls have ever given him, ever.

He finds what he’s looking for in the left-hand storage seal and starts shuffling through the paint seals, he and Naruto had planned to leave Iruka a parting prank. Since it looked like their Jōnin sensei was running late, it was the perfect time to start peppering the room with them. He just had to find the starter seal so he could make sure they’d go off in the right order. There it was!

With an evil chuckle Sasuke starts sorting the rest, until Naruto finally notices that Sakura is staring confusedly over his shoulder at Sasuke.

“Oh right! We can’t let Iruka-sensei forget about us. Hand me the done pile” Sasuke complies without a word and keeps sorting. Naruto returning every few seconds after artfully spreading them around for maximum effect.

“What are you—Sasuke-ku….Sasuke-san are you helping Naruto with a _prank?!_”

“Yeup. Have been all along too. Well, except for that first day. But all the pranks with seals and paper bombs? I made those and supplied some of the paint.”

Sasuke watches her reaction out of the corner of his eye and a delighted grin grows on his face she gapes in horror at the implications of Sasuke having been actively encouraging Naruto’s nonsense all along. “But, but…we’ll get in trouble! They’ll know we were the last ones in here!”

Naruto jumps over, walking along the desktops to answer “Naaahh, Iruka will know who did it, but ‘Suke is so good a timed seals, that we’ll be long gone before it blows. And the tags blow up when they release the paint so there ain’t gonna be any proof either.” He concludes happily.

He’s right too, Sasuke was well on his way to being the next Seal Master of Konoha. He is personally aiming to have the title before he makes Jōnin. Naruto wasn’t the only one with ambition around here after all. He gave Sakura a smug smile and handed off the last set of paint bomb seals to Naruto. This place was going to look like a rave was thrown in it. Neon for days.

Naruto held the last seal out to Sakura, trying to get her to participate. She’s hesitant, but she also doesn’t want to feel left out. “One Seal and you never tell anyone Naruto, understand?!” She waves her scrawny fist around like she could actually hurt Naruto with it. Even she knows she’s on the weaker side for that.

Sakura places the last seal under some paperwork on Iruka’s desk and Naruto is having a blast showing her how to memorize where all of it was exactly so no one, Iruka, will be suspicious coming back. Sakura then actually goes up a few points in Sasuke’s esteem as she points out Naruto could also do a remote Henge to make the tag blend in with the desk too. It’d give them a few more hours head start.

Sasuke laughs at that “Now you’ve done it.” He says, watching Haruno spook at his ominous words. “Now, you’re complicit in our shenanigans.” Her face falls as Naruto catches on to what he said as well and cackles his way to the floor by the chalkboard.

Sakura looks horrified either at what she’s been roped into or Sasuke actually cackling like a demented hyena.

~~~~~

They wait some more and then some more. Sakura is starting to think their sensei forgot about them. Another half hour passes with no sign of their new sensei (Inner: The Bastard).

Sakura is now starting to full on panic in front of Iruka’s desk. Sasuke migrates to perch on the front row desk just to watch her pace, apparently. She’s really starting to doubt her taste in men for ever liking that sadistic jerk. (Inner: He’s enjoying this WAY too much!) She tries glaring at him, but that just seems to amuse him more. Boys are so stupid. Especially Naruto, who was now wedging an eraser in the door frame.

“Naruto! That’s never going to work. Our sensei is a Jōnin!” Propping her hands on her hips, she prepares for a fight. She might have promised herself she’d be nicer to Naruto to keep the peace, but he was going to make their sensei mad at them on the first day. (Inner: This is hilarious! I really like this stuff!)

A snort to her right from Sasuke who muttered “If he gets hit by _that_ he earned it.”

“Exactly!” shouts a still overly excited Naruto. Sakura had to agree with, internally at least. A Jōnin should be able to dodge that. But still…

There’s no time to form an argument about it though. Naruto hadn’t got but a few feet from the door when a gray-haired shinobi with his face entirely covered, except for his right eye walks through the door.

There’s a stunned silence as the eraser pops him in the head as it falls to the ground. (Inner: Hoo YEAH. I can’t believe that worked!) Then the rational part of her brain tells her they are So going to pay for that surfaces. “Naruto did it!”

“HEY!”

Surprisingly Sasuke doesn’t chime in with any protest. When she dares a look at him though, his eyes are locked onto to their sensei. She can’t tell if he too is afraid or if he’s spooked by how their Sensei just told them he hates them. She understands, she’s a little on the fence too.

~~~~~

Sasuke is actually more shocked than anything. He had seen this face in the same recurring nightmare he’s had since he woke up an orphan with no memory. He didn’t have a name to go with the face, he’d always assumed this was another one he’d met Before and half remembered or just entirely dreamed up. And yet…here he was. There was something trying to wiggle free in the back of his mind, something about this man. Kakashi…a name. His name was Kakashi…the feeling disappeared, stupid broken brain. He was sure there was more, had he really spoken to him before? He had in his dream, but that dream didn’t really follow reality consistently enough and those first few days were really hazy for him.

Sasuke barely heard what their sensei even said to them. Just nodding along in a daze. Not jerking out of it until Naruto started dragging him to a window. Oh, they were supposed to meet Sensei on the roof. Right, training, meeting, Sensei, right.

Both boys leave a confused Sakura behind to take the stairs as she realizes that both her teammates have some how mastered wall walking and intend to leave her behind. She furiously runs up the stairs. Her determination to not fall behind, to not be a deadweight, still fresh in her mind.

~~~~~~

Their Sensei notices all of this. Watching closing as his sensei’s only child leads a stoic faced Uchiha up and over the academy walls. Notices that neither boy appears concerned that they left their third member alone to take the stairs. It’s not ideal, but it is suspiciously better than he was led to believe.

He wonders if he should have taken Iruka-sensei up on that chat on his team after all. He’d assumed that whatever Iruka had wanted to impart had something to do with Naruto and their recent encounter with Mizuki. Kakashi, however, had already read that report and had declined further information. Iruka’s face had said ‘Your choice-but you’re making a dumb mistake’ but surely there was nothing more he could say that he, as their teacher hadn’t put in the brief? And Iruka hadn’t tried hard to clarify, so it shouldn’t have mattered. He was starting to suspect he might be mistaken…

Because here he was observing two friends, an Uchiha and an Uzumaki of all people, calmly (for Naruto) hop the railing and take a seat in front of him. No bickering or animosity to see. 

He continues to watch them closely and feels his heart ache. It was a familiar one to him, an ache that encompassed all the people he’d lost.

Sasuke was being a lot quieter than Naruto, but that didn’t seem to be stretch. From all accounts Sasuke was another little prodigy in the making, just like his brother. Stoic Uchiha to their cores. 

Top boy in his class, excellent scores all around. And complete alone by the age of 8. By choice apparently too. Few social interactions that weren’t prescribed for his mental health and orchestrated by either Inoichi himself or one of the original Ino-Shika-Cho team. He still lived in the same compound where every last family member he’d had was murdered, minus the brother who’d killed them all.

No way that kid was stable. Inoichi had given a written statement clearing him for a team, but warned that what Sasuke needed more than anything were more ties to the village at large. It seemed to Kakashi, that Sasuke had already mastered hiding certain things from the Pysch evals.

Kakashi saw a lot of himself in this boy. He too had been isolated by his own abilities and essentially abandoned at young age. He and every Jōnin in Konoha had mastered how to hide things from the Psych division as well. It wasn’t a pleasant comparison to find. Kakashi wasn’t someone kids should want to be, want to emulate.

Then there was Naruto with his enthusiasm and lack of actual talent who was making that ache worse. For all that he looked like the Fourth, Naruto was all Kushina’s fire on the inside. It made him passionate, but not necessarily a good student. Nearly dead last in every other subject and passed only at the last minute due to the encounter with Mizuki. _Kami, he was so much like Obito._

Kakashi would give credit where it was due, learning the shadow clone under pressure wasn’t easy. It probably had more to do with the Uzumaki chakra reserves more than anything, but it was still impressive that Naruto had managed as many clones as Iruka had reported seeing. He’d give the kid a chance to prove him wrong at least.

After all, he had no choice about it. He didn’t have a lot a faith either, but he’d been told to keep that to himself.

Finally, their third member joined them, having opted to take the stairs. Haruno Sakura, was the very definition of a paper ninja. She had the highest test scores of any kunoichi in her year, she’d even set a few records for the next generation too. But she was only fourth overall, she’d barely made average on any and every physical test there was. She had managed to run up the stairs apparently and completely exhaust herself in the process he judged, as she slumped down next to Naruto, out of breath and sweating just from that.

Intelligence was a good thing; stupid shinobi did not live long after all. Purely book smartrs did not an effective combat shinobi make though. Kakashi wasn’t sure what he was supposed to do with this one at all, it was like she was a second thought for this team. It was supremely unfair to her and would continue to be if she had no further ambition.

Kakashi would never question his Hokage to his face (a lie), but what could the Third have thought putting these three together? It was a bit like looking into a mirror at his own Team 7. Sasuke was currently doing a solid impression of Kakashi at 12 and dye Naruto’s hair and he could be Obito all over again. Sakura with some effort and a transfusion of passion might even be Ren.

It was a miracle _his_ team had passed Sensei’s own test; he didn’t see how such a thing could happen twice in his life time. Not with so many of the same variables.

He knew he’d gotten Sasuke because he was the only other person who could teach him to use the Sharingan once activated. Naruto as the Jinchuriki had to be closely watched over if he left the village. Also, the Sharingan was the best tool possible for controlling the Kyuubi should Naruto’s seal break. Kakashi had more faith in Minato’s sensei than that, the seal would be fine. But Sakura…what was he supposed to teach her? And none of this factored in their varied and opposing personalities.

He heaved an internal sigh, refusing to let his frustration show, his professional detachment crack.

Well, he’d best get on with this farce.

“Alright, let’s have some introductions first. Introduce yourselves to the group.”

“What should we say Sensei?” Sakura asks quietly. Kakashi sees Naruto and Sasuke share a look between them. Interesting.

“Hmm, how about your likes and dislikes, your future dream or hobbies, things like that.” He says with false cheer.

Sasuke deadpans “We’ve been trapped in the same classroom for four years, we know each other and everyone with decent hearing knows Naruto’s dream.”

“Yeah! You should go first Sensei! Tell us about you.” Naruto bursts in and Sasuke snorts “I kinda meant if we have to be on a team together that knowing our strengths and weaknesses would be a better introduction than ‘What’s your favorite food?’ but go off I guess.”

Sasuke might have a point, but Kakashi doesn’t care about that. He hadn’t passed a Genin squad yet and this paltry attempt of the Hokage’s to blackmail him with nostalgia wasn’t going to change that. So, he ignores Sasuke.

“Maa, let’s see. My name is Hatake Kakashi and I don’t feel like telling you about my likes and dislikes…”

The confused faces he gets from that make his withered heart warm. Kids were so easy to fuck with.

“I’ve never really though about my future dream…and as for my hobbies? I have a lot of those.”

There’s a beat of silence while the kids are staring at him and each other like he sprouted a second head. Sakura side eyes the boys and doesn’t bother to whisper “He didn’t really tell us anything, but his name, did he?”

“Nope” “Pretty much.”

“Alright who wants to start?”

Naruto is back to vibrating in place while waving an arm about wildly. Kakashi watches passively as Sasuke dodges it and moves to sit on the step behind Naruto. To save Sasuke from taking a hand to the face and to save his own ears he nods to Naruto.

“My Name Is Uzumaki Naruto! I like Ramen and I hate how long Ramen takes to cook! Ichiraku’s makes the best ramen ever and it’s even better when Iruka-sensei is buying, but Sasuke’s is a close second. My hobbies are pranking and eating ramen! And my future dream is to become Hokage and make Konoha even better so everyone else will acknowledge me!”

Kakashi winced at the last part. The village still didn’t treat him well and he’d had no idea that a ramen addiction could be inherited. The boy really was a mini-Kushina in all but looks. And did he say Sasuke made him ramen? That bore some investigation, to his knowledge Sasuke didn’t willing associate with anyone he wasn’t forced to by Inoichi. It meant that they definitely knew each other from more than just class too.

“Okay, go pinky.” And nodded to Sakura. She looked nervous all the sudden.

“My name is Haruno Sakura. I like…”

“Oh boy, here we go.” Sasuke groaned and rolled his eyes. Going so far as to lean back and down, crossing his arms petulantly.

It stopped Sakura in her tracks and she twitched before continuing. “I like to learn new things and I hate rude people” she emphasized the last part with glare in Naruto’s direction. Kakashi wondered if she were including Sasuke in that. “My hobbies include reading about medical ninjutsu and my future dream is…my dream is to be a Hero Medic, just like Tsunade-sama!”

Sasuke lifted up on an elbow and seemed wary but a little more interested than he had a minute ago. There was something going on between those two. Thoughts for never if things went his way today.

Though at least Sakura had an actual goal. He’d been afraid that she’d be caught up in petty pre-teen romance bullshit. Not that he was ruling it out between her and Sasuke, with how the boy was acting and how Sakura was carefully avoiding looking at him. But she clearly wasn’t letting herself be consumed by it. Better than the average pre-teen girl, by his estimation.

“Well how about you?” And he boredly gestures to Sasuke.

With a put-upon sigh and another roll of his eyes, Sasuke sits back up and mirrors Kakashi’s posture. Arms on his knees and one hand propping his head up. Even does a passible bored sounding impression. How cute.

“My name is Uchiha Sasuke, like you didn’t know.” Naruto catches on and now he too is mimicking Sasuke and Kakashi’s posture. Sakura is looking vaguely horrified and throwing nervous looks between them. “I hate fangirls as much as I hate this conversation” which makes Sakura turn away, face blushing. “I like Fūinjustu”

“Mroaw” Sasuke is interrupted briefly by a tiny black cat Kakashi hadn’t noticed crawling over his shoulder. “And my pounce” he corrects. Naruto breaks character long enough to pout at Sasuke. “AND Naruto. Geez I was getting there. My ambition is to be a Fūinjutsu master and restore my clan, somehow.”

Kakashi is vaguely reassured by that answer. Sasuke sounds a hell of a lot more stable than he was led to believe. It also sounds like he was right to think Sasuke was sly enough to have been hiding how well he’s doing from everyone he’s forced to talk to. Sasuke definitely seems intelligent enough to get away with it. And judging by the mimicry a big enough little shit to do it in the first place. Kakashi, horrifyingly enough, is starting to see even more similarities between himself and Sasuke.

Damn the Hokage for giving him this team. It was blatant nostalgia laced blackmail.

A second thought has him noticing something else of interest. Both Naruto and Sasuke had included each other in their introductions. How long had they been close? It was mentioned absolutely nowhere and he couldn’t see the Council just letting an untrained, un-awakened Sharingan (the last in the village besides his own) hang out with the village Jinchūriki. But the Uchiha compound was very private and if Sasuke had been messing around with Fūinjustu…hmm…he needed to talk to Iruka-sensei after all it seemed.

Then he caught himself. IF of course this, maybe not as big as he thought, train wreck of a team passed his test. Yes, it all depended on that. He wasn’t going to get attached to another Team 7 anyway. These kids might be better off than his team was, but without teamwork they would not be his students. Because he was not teaching material and he didn’t want to be here. Not at all.

He’d yet to pass a single Genin squad and he doubted these three could do it either. The Academy might teach that 3 man squads were how Genin operated, but they didn’t train in actual team work very well…but if they passed…no.

“Yosh, the three of you are very interesting people. Now, we will have a mission tomorrow.”

“YES! What kind of Mission??”

“Geez, Naruto. Tone it down a bit, yea?” Sasuke teases, but he’s paying attention to Kakashi and so is Sakura, seems she’s recovered from her blushing earlier.

“We will be doing a Survival Exercise.”

Sakura, now fully recovered “A survival exercise? But Sensei, we did a whole lot of those in the academy…why are you laughing?”

With all the children looking at him suspiciously now, good, Kakashi lays it on thick. “Of the 27 graduates from the academy. Only 9 will actually be recognized as Genin Ninja this year. Those who don’t pass this final test will be sent back to the Academy for another year.”

Sakura and Naruto look shocked and Sasuke…Sasuke looks confused or like he’s trying read Kakashi’s mind. Another good sign. Paranoia is the mark of a great Shinobi.

“This is going to be a very difficult test. It has a failure rate of over 66%! Ah, see I wasn’t going to tell you so soon, now you’re all disenchanted. Saa, well that’s the way it is. Bring your full ninja tool kit tomorrow and meet at training ground 10 near the memorial stone. Oh, and it’d be best if you skipped breakfast…you’ll throw up.”

With that he Flash Stepped away. Delighting in the chaos he’d left in his wake. They’d find out tomorrow that being a shinobi was so much harder than they’d dreamed. And the day after he’d likely be back in ANBU where he belonged.

~~~~~

The three almost-Genin had very different reactions to Kakashi’s news.

Sasuke was sure there was going to be a trick to this test. He could feel it. He had every intention of dragging Naruto home and loading his largest storage scroll not just for boar, but for Jōnin. He just knew they’d need everything they had for this test. Sasuke was committed to passing with everything he had in him, it would be a true test of their skills.

Naruto was far less calm. He was outright panicking in fact. There was NO way he wanted to go back to the academy for another 6 months. He’d barely made it this time and he’d had Sasuke to keep him on track. And what if Sasuke passed and he didn’t? He’d lose his opportunity to be a real Shinobi with his best friend…and the beautiful Sakura-chan~~~He HAD to make it!

Sakura was just as panicked as Naruto. She hadn’t got the chance to prove that she was serious to anyone, let alone the person (Inner: Asshole) who had accused her being deadweight in the first place. She couldn’t wash out now! She needed to brush up on her survival techniques, like right now! Wait, what were the boys doing? They’d pass this as a team, all Konoha shinobi worked in 3- or 4-man cells. She had to think team tactics and this would be a good way to connect with her team.

Just before the boys could dart off “Um, Sasuke-san? Naruto-kun? Ano, since we’re a team now I think we should plan for what sensei might throw at us tomorrow.” Sakura made eye contact with a suspicious Sasuke. She could feel him measuring her words to them and hopefully what she had said earlier today as well.

Naruto was squinting at both of them until he scowled and elbowed Sasuke in the ribs. “Hn” Naruto rolled his eyes and chirped “Good plan, Sakura-chan! Oh, and Teme here is sorry about the yelling earlier. He’s kind of a jerk sometimes, just ignore him.”

“I am not-*grunt*- I mean, ugh, I shouldn’t have yelled earlier. I lost my temper over something that wasn’t just your fault. I really didn’t mean to blame you for all of it. Just the shit you did. So…I’m sorry…for that part. Specifically.

But I totally meant the other shit though. OW, Naruto!” Sasuke’s apology was interrupted again by Naruto’s elbow in his ribs. “That’s not how you apologize, Teme! Do It Right!”

“I said what I meant, you ass! She needed to quit that before---OW you _bit_ me!”

Sakura suddenly realized something about Sasuke, he was just as much of a dumb boy as all the other dumb boys in her class. It was much easier to tell now as he rolled across the school roof with Naruto. They weren’t even really fighting, just knocking each other over repeatedly. Just as she was starting to really question her life choices, Sasuke put Naruto in a headlock.

Without getting up or letting go he looked up at her and offered his other hand. “Why don’t we start over? Hi, I’m Uchiha Sasuke. My best friend is this loser. I love cats and Fūinjutsu.”

Sakura smiled and shook his hand. “Hey Sasuke. I’m Haruno Sakura. I love to study medical-ninjutsu and play trivia games with my family.”

“AND I’M UZUMAKI NARU—whoooaaa!” Sasuke had released the arm supporting Naruto’s head and he had fallen to the ground again. Sakura couldn’t help it, she started laughing. “I know Naruto. You want to be Hokage and you love ramen. It’s nice to meet you both!”

“You too Sakura.” “Yeah! Let’s go plan over ramen, Sasuke promised!”

The new Team 7’s tentative friendship began. With hope, they walked out of the Academy. Whether they passed their last test tomorrow or not, there was the promise of friendship waiting for them now. Should they fail, they would still have each other.


	8. Testing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The kids surprise, blackmail/extort, shock and win over a reluctant Kakashi. Mostly through the power of friendship, but also explosives.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My Kakashi is a traumatized mess who just wants to go back to being an anonymous masked cog in a machine. 
> 
> As a result...he is kinda of tormenting small children and very misleading about what they need to do to win. He's a bit of a dick. 
> 
> But the kids do win in the end.

Testing, 1, 2. Testing

~~~~~

Kakashi hated being wrong. HATED it. But these three little shits had surprised him.

He’d just signaled to begin their first attempt at the bell test. So far only Naruto and Sasuke had engaged, but he’d pretty much expected them to continue to shut out Sakura as they had done yesterday.

Unfortunately for his plans to read during this test, things were not progressing totally on track.

Naruto was nothing that his file suggested besides being impatient. He relied heavily on his Shadow Clones, but being able to manifest five in one go and have each fire off a D-rank air technique to boost the Grand Fireball (an Uchiha classic) Sasuke had tried to fry him with? That wasn’t anything the second to last in the whole year should be capable of.

It wasn’t a bad plan and perhaps that was the problem. Kakashi had begrudgingly admitted, to himself. That particular Katon was not the fastest one out there nor was it a thrown Justu. It remained in place once the caster stopped the chakra flow or ran out of air.

Having five other people feed bursts of concentrated air into it had the damn thing rapidly expanding before Sasuke had to back away, which had led to the last air bullet to shatter the sphere of fire and spraying it everywhere. It had been very hot and distracting.

It had actually forced him to give up ground.

He could feel Sakura hovering out of sight, the slight buzzing of chakra along his nerves letting him sense her imperfect Genjutsu without turning around. But she hadn’t moved since the boys attacked and Kakashi knew her Taijutsu was subpar.

Sasuke’s was the exact opposite. As the boy charged, he surprised Kakashi by swapping with one of Naruto’s clones, using it to come at Kakashi from a different direction while the clones floundered around in surprise from the fireball’s eruption.

Kakashi was forced to block several strong sweeping attacks and as he made a grab for Sasuke’s ankle Naruto (or a clone) swapped out again.

The two boys were really fighting in step with each other.

The Naruto in his hand is dispersed as Kakashi hits several nerve points to stop its mobility, revealing itself to be a clone.

Sasuke comes back in from another angle but not fast enough for Kakashi. He’s slowing himself down for this fight. No need to hurt the kids and he had promised to give them a fighting chance, but that charge had been too showy, too slow.

As Kakashi leaves a log for Sasuke’s kunai to dig into, he settles into the tree not far away. Before he can decide to hunt down Sakura, he hears a voice above him.

“Sensei-san”

Or well a cat. Does Sasuke have more than one Nekonin? It must be one, it’s wearing a Yukata and a strawhat. And he hadn’t noticed it, so it’s also hiding its chakra.

He eyes it carefully, wondering at the connection it has to its human partner. Can it summon Sasuke here? Or is it more like his Ninkin? Bound to this plane.

After a polite bow from the cat, Kakashi notices in horror as it drops what he quickly identifies as a high-grade exploding tag off the branch above him and then disappears in a puff of smoke. Either dismissing itself or flash stepping away, Kakashi doesn’t have time to investigate as the tag activates as it leaves the cat’s paw.

Kakashi is forced to dodge debris from the initial explosion and with impressed horror notes that the explosion is chained. The brats had mined this section of forest. A secession of incrementally smaller charges flows out from random trees in the area. Not every tree has been tagged, but the spread is such that the untagged trees are pelted with high speed debris.

Not wanting to become a pincushion or lose a limb to some Genin, Kakashi executes flurry of substitutions and flash steps. He watches the spread of the destruction from a safe spot high in the canopy nearby. It’s…impressive doesn’t quite do it justice. There was a large swath of forest burning itself out right now. Whoever had planted those tags was a budding artist.

Kakashi tried in vain to stomp out the tiny part of himself that was trying to insist that he just admit that ‘those kids’ were clearly the best he’d ever tested. That they might be better than usual Academy grads. That they just, _just_ might be worth his time. 

His thoughts were dragged back on track as 3 chakra signatures started to navigate around the damage and head for his location.

The cat had reported his location and potential exit from the trap site. He descends to meet them. Choosing to test them further, test their bond and teamwork.

What could these kids be planning? He has enough time wonder what other traps they had planted in the forest and think that maybe he had given them too much time to themselves this morning.

Several Naruto clones come bursting out of the shrubbery and attack. Not well, but they are fairly coordinated, not getting in each other’s way and working together to push him back. Kakashi deals with them all and pops each one that comes his way. Using the forest to swap in and out of the melee and testing Naruto’s Taijutsu skills.

They are average for a Genin, but Naruto shows an exceptional amount of creativity. He uses his clones and the environment well enough to make up for a good portion of his lack of real skill.

It’s…impressive actually. Naruto knows more than the Academy gave him credit for. He allows Naruto to spam more clones, suddenly curious as to why he’s spilt from Sasuke (and apparently Sakura, judging from the minor Genjutsu she’s thrown up around herself) and entered the woods.

As a Jōnin, Kakashi is far more versed in stealth and at even more of an advantage here. What could they possibly gain from engaging him here? Is there another forest eating explosion hidden here?

His question is answered when Sasuke reappears, he’s forming half seals with his right hand and black ink is snaking down his left.

Kakashi had taken note of what each child had on them at the start and been mostly unimpressed. While Naruto and Sasuke had both had some reinforcing seals sewn into their clothes (standard for most ninjawear), neither had brought a lot of weapons on them. Sasuke had also been covered in smudges and rings of ink all the way up his arm.

Kakashi has now decided that was intentional and not, in fact, preteen rebellion or the mark of a slovenly artist. Sasuke has premade seals for this fight and from the looks of the half seals, found a way to rapidly move them around his body…how very interesting.

He can’t identify what the seal is and has no intention of letting it hit him, but another surprising thing happens.

_Sakura_ enters from another direction and shouts Naruto back. No longer hiding on the edge of the fight. She opens scroll that releases another fucking Grand Fireball in mostly his direction. Kakashi has to make a quick choice in which direction to dodge, while he can probably quite easily fight his way through Naruto’s clones, a real enemy trying to escape would be more likely to try to take Sasuke, the lone man, on instead.

And sue him, the kids have him curious. This is, so far, a well thought out plan of attack with a prepared trap. The boys had been actively impressing him and now Sakura is involved too.

Had they simply put on a show for him yesterday? Or had his vague warnings actually gotten through about teamwork? Or, and this was the long shot, had they figured out the point of the test and gotten together over it? He has SO many questions.

He let’s Sakura’s attack push him where they clearly want him to go. Sasuke certainly waste little time and tries to hit him with the seal in his left hand. Kakashi is a little shocked to see that it’s not a tagging or tracking seal, but a paralyzing one.

The brat had actually managed to shave precious seconds off his attack by having it prepared and just sliding it onto Kakashi’s leg when he blocked a kick.

It’s not of sufficient strength to immobilize, it’s not perfect. But it continuously sends signals to his nerves, making his leg seize uncomfortably ever few seconds.

Kakashi has to hand it to them. Were he anyone else or a lower level opponent, that seal would severely hinder his ability to move. He deliberately chooses to leave the seal in place instead of negating or breaking it with one of the several seals Kushina taught him. It’s a good handicap for the kids anyway.

The Naruto clones have rushed in as soon as the seal was planted and with Sasuke helping the attempt to grapple him to a standstill. Kakashi struggles, using his superior strength to really make the brats work for it.

Because they’re brats and he’s not their sensei and he’s desperately trying to remember that.

The boys manage a loose hold on him and Kakashi realizes their intention is to hold him still so that their weaker member can make a grab for the bells. It’s a little disappointing that this is their plan, actually.

All that effort could have been used better.

Kakashi kicks a Naruto clone at Sakura forcing her to duck and roll to his other side.

He hears Sasuke yell for her to try again and feels Sasuke making the seal transfer signs again. Before Kakashi can move or act though…

“Maow!” A shadow drops down from the trees and lands on Kakashi’s head. Acting on instinct he sends lightening chakra through his hair. He has a suspicion he’s just found Sasuke’s other Nekonin. The little black cat he saw yesterday. A furious hiss erupts from the tiny cat as it launches itself back into the shadows, that’s when he feels his hip pouch being tugged loose.

Sakura....has just stolen his book…that brilliant little sneak. She must have noticed that between his arms being full of Naruto and one unpopped clone and Sasuke trying to paralyze both his legs that his attention was spilt, but still more focused on his side that had the objective. 

And, well he had to admit, he didn’t think they’d be smart enough to steal something besides the bells. And he might own three of that book, and it might be one that’s just about to fall apart from being taken into the field too often, but it’s also one of his favorites.

He privately acknowledges that Sakura’s plan isn’t a bad one either. In a real fight, that might have been something that an enemy would trade the real objective for or at least have taken another dangerous tool out of play.

Either way it was show of intelligence, that he would reward by acting like he just might kill her for it. It would build character if nothing else.

Kakashi quickly throws off the boys and makes sure to send them rolling a long distance off, leaving only him and Sakura. And in a deliberate show of skill overcharges both paralytic seals in a flash of more lightening chakra.

It serves its purpose in startling Sakura, his false lurch at her to get her running works as well. She even manages to tuck the book under an arm and throw a minor Genjutsu at him as well. She’s crashing through the brush and screaming, so it has no hope of working, but it was a good try.

Kakashi dispels the Genjutsu easily and runs after her. Making sure to stay just in sight and menacing her steps.

This is becoming fun again. Clearly the kids are worth his efforts. They seem to be working together too. Though he still won’t quite let himself call them his students. They hadn’t gotten the bells yet.

Sakura is determinedly running to a specific point, he notices. Anytime he tries to get her off course she rights herself in a specific direction. His attempts to run her of course are mild at best, when he does manage to get in front of her and drop her into a Genjutsu, just to see if he can, she’s freed by the Nekonin in the yukata.

Who then casts his own Genjutsu at Kakashi while Sakura runs ahead. Kakashi nearly engages the Nekonin, but is distracted by the tiny black cat darting after Sakura.

He rushes after it, throwing several kunai at the black and white cat in the yukata, he’s vaguely impressed to see the cat counter with a quick barrier. As it can’t move past its own barrier, he flash steps to catch up with Sakura.

When he does catch up to her she’s running through a natural gully. It’s a poor choice he thinks at first until he finds the first trap.

It’s expertly hidden and has a Chakra limit sensor tag on it. Innovative as it is destructive. It’s going to trip if it senses chakra over its set limit. Several, thankfully, lower level explosions are triggered as he gets close. Quickly followed by a secondary trap attached to the first, that throws a dozen kunai in his path.

Finally, he sees what they’ve done. The kids had prepared a textbook fall back position. The gully would be difficult for a Genin to get out of as it is nearly level with Sakura’s head. But with traps, probably, to either side of it a full-grown adult would have trouble running along it without triggering everything.

It’s excellent planning on their part. Most enemy nin would be hesitant to follow another shinobi into a clearly prepared position full of unknown traps. Especially, when the kids in question have some how managed to get an as yet mystery number of high-grade tags from someone…or had their seal expert make them…Kakashi reaches out his senses.

He is no sensory ninja, but all shinobi of Jōnin level can sense a little way out from them and none of his kids…THE kids, have shown that they can hide their chakra yet.

He can sense Sasuke and Naruto on the outside edge of the forest. They’re attempting to keep him on this path then. Or get to the end of the gully first.

He could send a clone of his own after them, but decides against it. He’s probably just getting soft outside of ANBU, but he kind of wants these kids to win suddenly. He’s actually cheering for them a little. But only the tiniest of bits.

And, as he dismantles another trap and trips another, he has to admit that these specific kids would keep him on his toes.

He’s catching up to Sakura who’s starting to lag. They’d given her this job clearly because she had the lowest chakra, playing to the small advantage. But her stamina is just awful. They’d have to work on that…damn it, there he goes again.

By the time he’s reached the end of the gully Sakura is just getting into position and manages to raise a sturdy barrier. Not something he is aware the Academy teaches, but strongly suspects Sasuke’s influence has a hand in. The Nekonin, who run much faster than Sakura have raised the other sides of the pyramid shaped barrier. Sakura must have excellent chakra control as she is standing in the lead point of the pyramid. The stability of the barrier is on her shoulders.

He stops on the edge of the gully to taunt her, see if he can make her mad or make that barrier waver. But she surprises him by demanding he turn over the bells in exchange for his book back.

Blackmail…at this age…his cold withered heart may have actually beat for a second there.

He can feel Sakura’s teammates coming up behind him.

“You know Sakura-chan, it’s only blackmail if the deal is between me and you. Using your cute little teammates to threaten me…that’s extortion.”

“I uh…okay? We’re okay with extortion, I think.” She looks nervously behind her at the bobtail in the yukata. The cat gives an enthusiastic nod. “Yea, we’re okay with that sensei. Oh and I will definitely blow this up…if I have to…pleasedon’tmakeme.”

Points for outright ballsyness.

Naruto is the first to break cover, clearly none of them really believe he’ll just fork over the goods. He’d ask who taught Naruto to be so cynical, but he has a feeling it’s a combination of the village and Sasuke.

Who is right on Naruto’s heels and brandishing several seals.

Kakashi flash steps out of Naruto’s reach as Sasuke throws several storage tags around them. He knows the type because Sasuke triggers them as they hit the trees around them. Ninja wire explodes in a spider’s web of unspooled wire. Naruto is quickly tangled in it as Kakashi uses the weapon that Sasuke has so thoughtfully provided.

He thinks viciously to himself that this will be a lesson learned on all sides as Naruto and his clones are not just tangled but actively stuck to the ninja wire that shot out of Sasuke’s tags. Interesting. It appears that Sasuke had either slathered all of it in super glue or it was another innovative seal from the first ever Uchiha Seal user.

“Fuck!” Which is not something Kakashi has ever heard come out of an Uchiha’s mouth. It makes him stall for a split second before he has Sasuke neutralized. His arm around his neck and a sharp kunai against his kidney.

It’s only then he looks back to Sakura still hiding behind her barrier with the two NekoNin. She’s looking even more terrified than when he was chasing her. Time to really test their commitment.

“Sakura-chan, I’m going to need my book back now.” He wants to see if she values winning over her teammates. He wants to know if the boys are willing to sacrifice to protect her or the mission.

Sakura looks horrified by what’s happening. Naruto just looks pissed. “Don’t give him nothing, Sakura-chan. We can take him!” It’s bluster, 100% bluster and exactly something Obito would say. _Damnit_. 

Sakura is more level headed than Naruto and stutters out an ultimatum of her own. One with surprising intelligence for all it lacks in delivery. “I-if…you can’t hurt them! You’re just pretending.” Which is true, he won’t actually hurt them…he might enjoy humiliating them though. He insinuates a far more devious plan than he intends. Tying them to a post and eating their lunches in front of them doesn’t sound as scary as dropping them in one of the Jōnin training fields does.

He watches as she flinches. “Sasuke?” she’s clearly out of ideas and panicking. He wonders when the surly Uchiha become their defacto leader.

The boy had been deathly still the entire time. Kakashi isn’t holding him hard enough to cut off his air. But he had assumed the fine tremble in Sasuke’s shoulders had been fear.

He really hates being wrong.

~~~~~

Testing, 3, 4, Testing

~~~~~

Sasuke had been trembling but only partly out of fear. He still reacted poorly to being grabbed sometimes. And he hadn’t really expected their sensei to use live kunai on them, but the one digging into his back is deadly sharp. It’s also drawn just the smallest amount of blood in the initial grabbing.

He’s trying to calculate if showing his last resort is worth it. There has to be a way that all of them pass. It doesn’t make sense for a sensei to pass only two students. It just _feels_ wrong, the sort of feeling that he’s learning to trust still. And one that says Hatake-sensei would understand why he hasn’t shown it before.

He activates his sharingan and catches Sakura’s eyes. Much how he taught Naruto the Grand Fireball and some chakra manipulation he sends Sakura a memory in a Genjutsu. She freezes, not used to the sensation. He can feel Kakashi stiffen behind him at Sakura’s sudden stop.

When Kakashi shifts his head to look down, Sasuke doesn’t let go of his sharingan, but he does attempt a low-level Genjutsu, one meant to disorient. He can feel Kakashi flare his chakra, probably on instinct alone and dissolve it.

But revealing his eyes buys Sakura all the time she needs. She grabs the bells with a victorious shout and screeches as Kakashi instinctively swats at her.

She still has the fucking bells though.

‘_I really owe her an apology now, that took guts._’

~~~~~

Kakashi is stunned. How had this kid kept this hidden for who knows how long? And why reveal it now? Just to win? Admittedly, had he been fighting any trained Uchiha, Kakashi wouldn’t have gotten this close or left the boy free to move his like he had. Most Uchiha were terrifyingly adept at Genjutsu and doing what he had was a good way to wind screaming and trying to claw your own eyes out.

_Huh, these kids are all alright._ Naruto had clearly seen what Sasuke was doing and been loudly and creatively insulting Kakashi the entire time. A distraction that would work against some shinobi and most bandits. Sakura might have frozen at the sight of Sasuke’s eyes initially, but she’d reacted quickly when Kakashi had frozen in turn.

And Sasuke had willingly outed his secret ability to end the encounter with no casualties. Sure he’d waited until there didn’t seem to be another option, but Kakashi couldn’t fault him for it. In a real-world encounter that sort of surprise would save his and his team’s life.

That was all teamwork, _good_ team work. Three parts working together to find a solution. Technically, they should pass on that alone. But he couldn’t resist just one more test. These kids were surprising him more by the minute.

He let Sasuke go and the boy stumbled towards Sakura and took a mildly defensive stance. His Nekonin moved to flank him, subtly placing Sakura in the center of the formation.

“Well, can’t say I’m not surprised. But, only two people can pass. So, Sakura-chan…who will you give that second bell to?”

She’s starts in surprise, as do the boys at his continued insistence that only two get training. She’s stops and starts looking between the two boys. “B-but…we’re a team, Sensei. A good one I think. We-we all helped!”

“Oh?” he leads, interested in hearing what planning had gone into this.

She firms up starts giving a summation of each person’s contributions. Sasuke had supplied most of the materials used to make the traps and had made all of the seals they’d used. Which was interesting considering the pay load those explosive tags had made. He’d have to look into that.

Naruto had been the mastermind behind all trap placement both planning and the physical placement. Naruto’s excited shout of “Dattebayo!” echoes in the small clearing. His remaining stuck clones cheering as well.

Sakura falters as she gets to herself, but clearly putting aside his earlier animosity Sasuke chips in. “And Sakura was the one who figured out how to use the seals I had on me to our advantage. She realized that her low chakra reserves would work to our favor if Naruto and I could just get you to stand still long enough for her to safely approach.

She also figured out that if we couldn’t get the bells out right that we could always take something to try and trade it back to you.”

“Yea! Sakura-chan’s like super smart like that, dattebayo!” Naruto cheers again. Sakura blushes as the boys compliment her part in their little heist.

Kakashi pretends to mull it over, “Nope! Sorry I can’t bend the rules, even for cute little Genin like yourselves.”

They all seem perturbed by that. Especially Sasuke, who stares at him like he’s trying to look right through him.

“Then you should take Naruto and Sasuke.” Sakura whispers.

“What?” “Sakura-chan, no!”

Sasuke shakes his head “No. Take Naruto and Sakura. They need you more than I do.” Kakashi supposes it was too much to ask to get a humble Uchiha.

“Naruto tries his hardest at everything. No matter what you want to teach him, he’ll learn it…eventually. And Sakura’s proven she’s more than just a future librarian today. She got the bells and…I don’t really need to be a fully-fledged shinobi to get either of my dreams. Iruka will still teach me seals and I’ll figure out the family stuff when I’m older…So there.”

That’s an interesting take on the situation. Kakashi mentions that he’s had have easier access to more sealing techniques if he were a Genin or later when he’s higher ranked. Sasuke shrugs and says he’ll just ask Naruto to steal it for him. It earns him a punch to the shoulder from Sakura and angrily hissed “Don’t just say that outloud!”

But Naruto’s reaction takes the cake and what’s left of his reluctance. “No. We won those bells together and we’ll keep taking these tests until we can ALL be shinobi together. Iruka-sensei said that we’re a perfectly balanced team and we proved it today! We did! So, I’m taking a bell unless Sasuke and Sakura get one too.” He nods decisively and looks to Sasuke.

*Sigh* “Yeah. You know on second thought it’d get pretty boring without Naruto and Har-Sakura around. I’m out too. It’s all of us or none of us Hatake-sensei.” He shrugs and steps aside so Sakura is standing between the boys.

She looks at both of them and smiles. Before she even can voice her opinion, Kakashi knows he has lost his bet with himself. “Right!” She gives a formal bow that the boys belatedly echo. “we appreciate the opportunity Hatake-sensei, but we have to refuse at this time. We’ll all try to pass next graduation, together. We’ll go tell Iruka-sensei the news.”

“Maa, well…it’s a good thing you’ve such good news to tell him then” he says to their confusion. “You pass.”

Naruto’s jaw is on the floor and Sasuke’s dialed up his suspicious look to 11 now. “Wait…all three of us?” Sakura asks.

“Yup. Surprise!” he waves his fingers at them all, bracing for the news to sink in. Naruto is by far the loudest, he can barely hear Sasuke’s protest about group hugs over it. Sakura is celebrating just as hard and has crushed Sasuke between her and Naruto. The Nekonin join the party and the heavy-set bobtail that threw paper bombs at Kakashi this morning sends everyone to the ground.

“Damnit Matsuo!” Sasuke is forced to endure the cuddling minutes longer as the three kids untangle themselves. Naruto is still bouncing in place, Sasuke is grumbling while holding the chubby cat gently in his arms, and Sakura is beaming as the little black cat rubs against her head.

Kakashi has really fucked up in an interesting direction this time. ‘_Obito, somehow this is your fault._’


	9. Fortune Days

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A training snippet with Team 7. Kakashi sics the pack on the kids and plans.

****

Stumbling through the undergrowth Sasuke tried to pick up the pace. Hatake-sensei has sicced one of his personal summons, a dog he called Shiba, on Sasuke hours ago. Sasuke was sure Hatake had said something about increasing Sasuke’s speed or stamina or something, but all Sasuke could think of right now was keeping ahead of Shiba’s snapping teeth.

Deep down he was certain Sensei wouldn’t actually let the dog eat him, but after two weeks of training that more reasonable people might have called torture, Sasuke wasn’t going to take that chance.

He kept going.

But he was tiring and Sensei had yet to call off the mad bit of barking grey-fury on his heels…though now that he thought about it. Sensei hadn’t really forbidden him from fighting back, he’d just said “I’d run if I were you.”

‘_That son of a bitch._’ Sasuke thought furiously. Sensei had tricked him into running around like an idiot for 3 hours, just dodging.

Well, that was done now. He popped several stink bombs and 3 paint tags out of seals located on his clothes. The tough brown pants and forest green hooded-vest would help him hide once he lost his pursuer. The geta made a lot more noise than the standard shinobi sandal, but Sasuke was willing to make sacrifice to keep his preferred footwear.

Sasuke quickly ran up a tree using his chakra, he slapped a smoke bomb down threw another to the tree across from him, but he didn’t stop running. He’d learned earlier that Sensei’s ninken could do just about everything he could with chakra. He wasn’t getting bit in the ass again.

He still couldn’t believe that Suzume had abandoned him to sit in Hatake’s arms. That traitor. But he didn’t have to just rely on her, he had more summons than just Suzu and Hibiki lived in the compound, it wouldn’t take much chakra to summon him to the training ground.

He jumped to another a tree moving higher into the canopy. He hears Shiba sniffing around the tree he’d first touched and as the ninken jumped to the branch with the tags Sasuke threw his last tag to form a curtain of smoke around the ninken.

A loud pop and smoke enveloped the trees around Shiba, using that as a cover Sasuke quickly summoned Hibiki.

*Poof* “Aibo, how can I help?” Hibiki is in his standard black and gray camouflage ninja clothing and hood. Good. They’re going to need it for Sasuke’s plan. He explains quickly as they fall back into the trees. Hibiki agrees to assist and they part. Being the only ninneko who uses a jutsu besides Fūinjutsu, Hibiki is invaluable for this plan.

Hibiki quickly henges into Sasuke and they part running back toward where they’d left Shiba. The loud snuffling around the trees lets them pinpoint where the dog is. A quick flick of chakra signals that Hibiki is in position. Sasuke copies the flicker and Hibiki falls to the forest floor in a controlled drop.

The two summons spot each other and Hibiki’s chakra flares. Just as Sasuke’s would if he were to use his Sharingan. As Hibiki doesn’t have a Sharingan, he is using a Genjutsu to better mimic the way Sasuke moves, looks, and smells. It must work, after trading a few blows Shiba runs after the henge’d Ninneko and doesn’t seem to notice the real Sasuke hiding in the tree he’d first ascended.

The plan is working. Sasuke carefully retraces his steps, ignoring the impulse to just book it straight for the clearing where the others are training. He must stay hidden and the best way will be hiding in his own footsteps.

He doubles back along his trail and finally burst through into the clearing, panting for air and keeping a paranoid eye on the trees behind him.

“Oh? Back so soon Sasuke-kun?” Hatake is sparring with Naruto, must have been all this time for Naruto to be that tired looking and yet he’s barely winded. Stupid Jōnin.

“It’s been actual _hours_, Sensei.” He complains.

“Naruto, don’t wind up for your strikes like that. You’re broadcasting what you’re doing too strongly. Here, stop. Like this. See…”

A loud splash and furious sounding squeal draws Sasuke’s attention from Naruto’s lesson. Sakura has come up from the river that flows through training ground 7 soaking wet. Yikes.

“I almost had it!”

He squints in confusion. “Did Sensei let you start water-walking? No fair! Sensei!” Sasuke had been running his ass off ALL morning and Sakura got to learn something. That was supremely unfair in his book.

Sakura punches him in the arm. “Ow!” it actually hurt a bit this time. After two weeks of training Sakura had actually started using her superior chakra control to enhance her hits. Once she got a bit of muscle on her, there was no way Sasuke was going to let her punch him in the arm anymore. But for now, it just stung.

“I had to run laps this morning too, Shannaro!”

“I’ve been chased by Ninken all morning, it’s a bit more intense than running laps!” He huffs. Sensei spawns a shadow clone and comes over to talk to both of them.

“Have you figured it out yet, Sakura-chan?” Sensei asks her. She nods. “Yes, but I’m getting low on chakra now. I really almost had it though.” He nods. Probably having anticipated that Sakura would need to regroup and recover about now. “Good. You can tag out with Sasuke then.”

“What?”

Hatake-sensei leans down and performs another summoning. This time the smoke reveals a colossal mastiff. Jet black and wrinkly in the most adorable way. Sasuke really wants to hug the dog. “This is Bull. Bull this is Sakura…fetch.”

Bull in all his big drooly glory glomphs after Sakura as she scrambles in to the tree line. Sasuke is a little disappointed that he didn’t get to hug the giant dog. “Come on Sasuke. I’ll demonstrate this once so watch carefully.”

They walk down to the slow flowing river and Kakashi casually walks out onto the surface of the water. Sasuke, still paranoid about revealing his Sharingan and the possible return of Shiba, glances around real quick and chances activating his eyes. He can see the steady pulse of chakra Kakashi is moving to his feet. The barest fluctuations as the river flows keeping him in the same spot as opposed to floating along the surface like a leaf.

“Got it?” Kakashi asks while walking back. Sasuke nods and under his Sensei’s careful eye takes a shaky first step out. He’s bobbing and floating down stream lazily. But he’s only sunk a little. Seemingly satisfied that Sasuke is learning something constructive and worthwhile, Kakashi turns to head back up the grounds towards Naruto. “Oh, Sasuke?”

“Hm?”

“Where’s Shiba?”

“Summoned Hibiki and tricked Shiba into following him.” Sensei distracting him makes him lose some concentration. He briefly sinks to his knees in the stream. And has to struggle back to the surface using his hands to push his feet clear.

“Maa, that must be why he looks so mad…”

There’s a shocking wave terror that flows through him at his Sensei’s calm observation. And cold feeling as his hand briefly dip into the stream.

Sasuke doesn’t bother trying to sneak off the water. He _runs_. Bolting down the river as a triumphant howl crest the hill.

Tripping and sinking along river, Sasuke is cursing loudly as dodges several of Shiba attempts to land on him.

*SPLASH*

He flails and fails to dodge the fourth jump and is forcibly dunked beneath the surface.

~~~~~

Kakashi watches, content with how today is proceeding. He is joined by Hibiki, Sasuke’s summons, who sits beside him and leans into some congratulatory head scritches. Much like their human partner, all Sasuke’s summons accept head pats and scritches behind ears as acceptable rewards. Much to Kakashi’s amusement.

“Genjutsu to mask your appearance and smell?”

“Hai, Sensei.” Kakashi assumed as much. It must have been very well done to confuse Shiba for this long. “You did well. Feel free to go help him. Try to keep him on the water though. He’s learning.” Hibiki hmms an assent and joins the mad scramble happening on the shoreline. Managing to give Sasuke enough space to gain traction on the water once more.

Suzume chirps from his shoulder. “He does think too much sometimes” Kakashi agrees, “but this is more to break him out of hyper focusing on one problem. He’s not going to have the opportunity to do that in the field.”

The small black cat appears to go back to sleep with that information given, appeased as always that Kakashi has a reason for tormenting Sasuke. For pushing him harder than the others in certain areas. “I’ll give them another hour and then we’ll break for lunch. Naruto hasn’t really had a chance to play with the pack yet.”

That gets him a churring noise, cat laughter. It’s nice that someone appreciates his sense of humor. His adorable little Genin just keep calling him sadistic. So cute. They have no idea that this is just the precursor to their real training.

Kakashi just needed to get all three, but mostly Sakura, up to acceptable levels of stamina and check their proficiency in a few areas before he could really start in on them. He was confident that they could handle it now.

Sakura was a fast learner and the past two weeks and seen her toughen up considerably. She wasn’t yet able to keep up with the boys as much as _she’d_ like, but she was getting there. Her chakra control far outstripped even Kakashi, she had picked up Tree-walking in a few hours and probably would have Water-walking down by dinner even if he kept Bull trotting after her.

Honestly, she would have it sooner had Kakashi let her learn it on still water, but he knew she also needed to expend more chakra on a daily basis than she was. Expending chakra helped stretch and build not only a young Genin’s coils, but helped expand their stores of chakra too. And Kakashi was a big fan of multi-tasking.

It’s why her laps around the village also included pointing out and naming various plants that could be used for medicine, poison, or food to Kakashi as she ran. Her ability to nearly perfectly recall any read fact was astounding and Kakashi was certain that she could be as great if not better than Tsunade-hime one day. Though, he’d also thought of other roles she’d be equally good at it…but it was too soon to bring that up.

Naruto was actually doing rather well. Compared to the reports his various teachers had handed in about him, you wouldn’t think this was the same kid. Kakashi had simply figured out early on that Naruto wasn’t going to learn much via lectures, it just wasn’t going to sink in for the boy. But if someone took the time to show him, to demonstrate a technique and then explain it.

Naruto latched onto to the demonstrations and would keep trying until he could replicate it. Much like Sasuke had said at their test. Naruto did not have a single ounce of quit in him. Right now, Kakashi was letting his clone teach Naruto Taijutsu moves that suited him and his clones, this morning had been a few warm up laps around the village with Team Gai and then limbering exercises.

He was coming along nicely too. Naruto would never suit just one style of Taijutsu, but his excellent sense of improvisation made him unpredictable and the ability to do the unexpected was well worth honing. He’d switch Naruto to learning Water-walking from the other two after lunch, well after Naruto had used up some of his unwieldly chakra. It was the only way they might get Naruto learn it before lunch tomorrow. Once Naruto learned to control his chakra, he was going to be one hell of a Ninjutsu power house. Even more so than his father. But first…water-walking.

All else fails he’d let Sasuke use his Genjutsu again. Sasuke had _very_ reluctantly admitted to using a sort of memory transfer Genjutsu to teach Naruto the Air Bullet jutsu. Kakashi had been mildly horrified that any Genin or really student, would try such a thing. But Sasuke, as always had proven that Sakura wasn’t the only brain amongst the team. The jutsu was stable. As is should be considering Sasuke had spent 4 days on a research bend—learning how the human brain interacts with chakra was important before one went around fucking with it—then slept for 13 hours before nailing it first try. Kakashi had discovered that he’d also used it to show Sakura what he was planning during their bell test.

Genius, really. To figure out how to simulate advanced team communication with a Genjutsu. And the fact that Sakura had simply rolled with it. A slight stumble in her step the only indication she’d seen anything? These kids would probably be the death of him, but training them would mean seeing Konoha strong and healthy for another generation.

Not that he could tell them that yet, couldn’t have them getting big heads. For now, he had to go introduce Naruto to Bisuke and Urushi. If anyone had the energy to keep up with Naruto it was his two youngest Ninken. He’d let his most energetic summons tire Naruto out and then let them all eat take a break and eat.

Afterwards water-walking practice for all three and Kakashi could finally implement stage 2 of their training. He just had to make sure Sakura’s parents weren’t going to freak out on him. Civilian parents to shinobi kids were unpredictable. He could, legally, overrule any complaints about Sakura’s training so long as she wasn’t irreparably harmed and was part of her training.

But doing such things tended to cause more tension than it resolved. Hoping he wouldn’t make things awkward for Sakura if this meeting didn’t go to plan, Kakashi plans to slip away after making sure everyone is occupied on the river this afternoon. Leaving a shadow clone to supervise of course.

Returning to Naruto, Kakashi summons Urushi and Bisuke and sets them running Naruto and his many clones into the ground. He does this because he cares…and because watching not one but four different Naruto try to hide in the same shrub and start fighting amongst themselves instead of running, is terribly amusing.

Looks like he has time for a work out himself now.


	10. Interlude: Meet the Parents

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A brief interlude to all the training that the team will be doing in the next few chapters.   
This is a little self indulgent because I just *really* want a fic where Sakura is not only a major character and a full-functioning member of the team, but also has a good family. Because, damnit, one of these kids deserves have strong, loving, family....I just need this, okay? Play along, it's wholesome and good for the soul.

The Haruno residence is near the center of the Civilian District of Konoha. A brightly colored suburb, filled with working families. Sakura’s house is the minty green one with the herb garden out front. It is unbearably domestic. He might be breaking out in hives right now.

Kakashi does notice that the garden is at least practical, there are medicinal plants and herbs growing in it. He wonders if Sakura had something to do with it. They are established plants, he concedes they might belong to Sakura’s father, Kizashi, who is a civilian doctor. And a probable origin point for Sakura’s interest in medical jutsu.

That still doesn’t tip the scales in one direction or the other. Kakashi will have to go into this not knowing how his student’s parents will react to him kidnapping their daughter for weeks at a time. Or really, how they will react to _him_ at all.

With no other choice, he knocks on the door. It’s the weekend, he’s made certain to plan his visit on a day both adults would be home.

His knock is answered by a middle-aged woman with sandy brown hair and a warm smiling face, he can see a lot of her in Sakura’s features.

“Oh, hello there…can I help Shinobi-san?” She asks and Kakashi will admit to being pleased with the way she doesn’t seem scared of him. Pro-ninja civilians weren’t necessarily rare—not in a shinobi village anyway—but most still maintained a certain amount cautious distance with both words and manner. Haruno Mebuki is not one to let an assassin at her door stop her from being polite though.

Kakashi barely gets to introduce himself when her face lights up, presumedly in recognition, and he’s quickly ushered into the house.

“It’s so lovely to meet you, Hatake-san! Sakura simply adores you, you know, and she’s told us how supportive you’ve been about her career and with her training. We were so happy when she seemed to find her motivation again!

We were getting worried that she was going into this with the wrong goals, she went a little boy crazy on us these past few years” She adds in a quiet whisper. “But that all changed after she started training with you.

Kizashi! Kizashi, you’ll never believe who dropped by!” She hurries into the kitchen calling for her husband.

He’s not really sure he, personally, was the catalyst for Sakura’s recent gung-ho attitude, but this didn’t seem the time to really point that out. Also, he was a little baffled with how _positive_ Sakura’s mother seemed about her ninja career. Most parents were a resigned sort of supportive he thought…at least that’s the impression the few civilian born shinobi he’d worked with had given.

Kakashi warily exits the neat living room to follow Mebune into her, equally tidy, kitchen where he is introduced to the man who definitely had a hand in making Sakura fit her name. Haruno Kizashi has a narrow, long face and bright pink hair. He keeps his neat and short as opposed to down to his waist like his daughter. And he has the same green eyes as Sakura too.

His manners are as impeccable as his wife’s if his personality calmer than Mebune’s warm bubbly cheer. “Hatake-san, a pleasure. Please join us for lunch. Mebune’s a great cook—no, no. I insist. Here.” And pushes out a seat at the four-person table. Mebune already has a plate loaded with nice wholesome food.

Food, that he is certain was a suggestion on the nutrition chart he sent home with Sakura on day one. Well, that’s certainly good. And a show of solidarity at home will definitely encourage Sakura to stick to the hearty food she needs to build muscle and energy. He thanks his hosts for the meal, but waits for them to dig in to speed food into his mouth. They do not seem alarmed by this at all.

While he had not made a big deal of hiding his face around the kids, often taking the mask down to make a serious point or eat with them. Building their trust in him specifically was very important for phase two. They knew that he did not show his face in town at all. Sakura must have told her parents that. What a thoughtful student.

Kizashi, surprisingly, brings back the conversation. “Hatake-san, I want to thank for getting those silly diets out of Sakura-chan’s head. Those things are counterproductive for growing bodies. She’s such a smart girl, but I fear that’s the problem.”

His wife nods “She is very smart, but that’s not let her make many friends, I’m afraid. I just know those diets were her way of trying to fit in with those other girls.” Kakashi nods along. While Sakura hadn’t said it outright, that was the impression he’d gotten. In the same breath she’d committed to eating however was best to reach her goals though. When Kakashi tells both parents that they beam in unison.

“Good! Now, I’m sure she’s told you she wants to be a Medic-nin, I’ve helped her get a good start on that from a civilian prospective, I hope. She’s passed her civilian Direct Action Response training with full marks along with her CPR training. But that’s as far as she can go with civilian training due to her age.

She has the knowledge, but we can’t seem to get anyone to ignore her age and teach her more. Will you be able to do that?” Kizashi asks and Kakashi realizes exactly who he has to thank for having such an intelligent and knowledgeable student.

“I can. I hadn’t realized the extent of Sakura’s medical knowledge though. Direct Action…that’s the Civilian first aid response group?” Kazashi smiles and nods. He is the founder of the group and one of the licensed civilian doctors who donates his time to helping other learn advanced first aid.

“I and some of my colleagues—doctors and nurses alike—founded the group after the Kyuubi attacked. Sakura-chan is our youngest graduate! Her certificates were around her somewhere…” Mebune rushes into the sitting room and returns with framed certificates that outline Sakura’s accomplishments. Kizashi and Mebune beam with pride as Kakashi reads off the list of Sakura’s skills.

Which are impressive, not many Genin would be this prepared to handle minor to intermediate injuries on the job. Kizashi’s group is not just simple first aid, but advanced triage care and advanced aid “This is far more than Sakura has shared with me, but it is very impressive.”

Both parents shine with pride at his sincerity. “That’s my girl! She’s got Mebune’s competitive streak and my memory. There’s nothing she can’t do so long as she’s given a chance at it.”

Mebune shares “I kept Kizashi from going overboard, as we just weren’t sure what she needed to be Shinobi medic. The information isn’t available to civilians and we didn’t want her to have to unlearn something and fall behind or…interfere with her future training. There’s still that whole Sasuke thing though” Mebune laments.

“We are rather concerned about them being on the same team…” Kizashi hints.

Mebune and Kizashi both express a certain kind of resignation at what was apparently years of Sakura crushing on Sasuke. Which explains SO much about their interactions on day one. Sasuke being an ass must have been in response to being saddled with a fan girl. He’s curious as to how that changed though. It wasn’t through any effort of his own, but it certainly isn’t affecting them now. Sakura is as likely to berate Sasuke for going overboard as she is Naruto for not thinking something through.

The Harunos do not seem to be aware of the difference between Sakura talking about her crush and that she now views him as a teammate. There’s probably a difference, at least his limited experience would suggest there would be, but it is possible that the elder Harunos have become numb to anything related to ‘how great Sasuke’ might be.

“Ah, well. I think they worked it out. There was a rough patch at the start, but all three are no more than friends. Good friends though, if I’m any judge.” And he’d like to think he is at this point. His little Genin are a close-knit unit, by his own design and apparently by nature. Kakashi had always figured that Sakura was the social one of the bunch, but perhaps that was Naruto—who would befriend anything, given enough time with it.

The sigh of relief the two adults heave in unison with a long look at each other is telling. They were likely concerned that close proximity to her crush would lead Sakura away from all the motivation she’s currently possessing. He quickly reassures them that Sakura isn’t lacking in motivation due to Sasuke’s presence.

If anything, the two intellectuals tend to egg each other on to new feats of mental math, trivia, and problem solving. Though Sasuke still seems to rely on the conclusion that if you blow up the problem up—it can’t _be_ a problem any more. Kakashi really hopes to tone that down soon.

It has its place, but Sasuke has exactly the kind of mental fortitude to take up ANBU work in a few years. Providing he learns to control the urge to obliterate his problems. If Naruto wants to be Hokage, then he is going to need the support of a strong ANBU leader. If only because Naruto leads with his heart. Sadly, they don’t live in the kind of world where that’s a possible constant. Naruto will need someone like Sasuke in the shadows.

He pulls his thoughts away from the future and has to wonder at how supportive Mebune and Kizashi are with Sakura. It’s still baffling to the utmost extreme, there are shinobi parents who aren’t loyal and caring to their kids dreams, he’s met a few. But the Harunos are different and he refuses to complain and will attempt to provide them with as much information as he can. Keeping in mind the restrictions of his profession and their own safety.

As he explains, vaguely no need to give too much detail, the team dynamic he sees their concern ease. And the return of the content family he’d been introduced to. He continues lunch with them and explains Sakura’s exercise routine as well as breaking the news of her future, sometimes lengthy, absence for training purposes.

Mebune looks sad at that, but Kizashi pats her hand “I’ll be the first to admit that much of what shinobi do is a mystery to Mebune and I. Chakra just boggles the mind for one—how can some people have these “active coils” and some not? Truly it is—ah right, sorry.” A quick nudge from his wife cuts the Doctor’s musings off.

The lady of the house picks up were he got distracted “We may not understand exactly what it means to be a shinobi, but we know what it means to our little girl. It’s her dream to help people. She has the ability to help more people as a trained shinobi than she does as a civilian doctor.

So, we’ve encouraged and supported her through it all.

We all know that having this chakra stuff means Sakura is different and needs to train differently than what her father and I can help her with.

You are a Konoha Shinobi and her Sensei. If you say this training is something she can handle, is something that will help her grow—well then, we support you too.” She finishes firmly.

Kakashi is extremely grateful that at least one of his students has such a strong backing at home. Even if they don’t have the background to help Sakura with ninja training. Simply being here and encouraging their daughter counts for a lot in Kakashi’s book.

He is still in way over his head with these two though. Kazashi manages to corner Kakashi into promising to send Sakura home with an outline of what she needs to know, what courses she needs to take, and certifications to pass and become a medic like she wants.

Kakashi is 100% certain that Kizashi will be helping Sakura study even with his busy schedule and that if he sends more nutrition guides home with her that Mebune will ensure Sakura is well fed from now on. Especially as it seems that Sakura can no longer claim it is a “Kunoichi diet” or other nonsense.

Kakashi wouldn’t know what to do with so many civilians supporting their kids this thoroughly, but he almost wishes more would. Or at least that certain kids had parents like these two.

An exhausting hour later sees Kakashi out the door with a bundle full of homemade ration bars, that smell like they actually might taste decent. He has a standing invitation to dinner with the Harunos and Mebune pretty much threatened him, _him_, into bringing his other students by as well.

Apparently, Sakura had told Mebune that they were both orphans. And now that they know Sasuke’s attendance will not affect their daughter negatively or encourage her former crush, they are more than willing to host. Kakashi had said yes, if only to stay on the good side of someone willing to feed him on the regular.

If anyone asks, he’s classifying this as team bonding.

He returns to the training ground in time to watch Naruto take his first shaky steps onto the river himself and hear the cheers of the rest of the still damp team as he does.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I cannot promise that Kizashi and Mebune will *not* adopt all three boys from Team 7 at a later date. There may, or may not, be plans for such a thing at a later date...


	11. The Hints of Greatness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mini Chapter part 1 of 3. This one is to really just summarize basic training Kakashi-style. You can assume that graduating in the spring, it is now sometime in the fall. 
> 
> I'm extending the time line and stretching things out. The Wave Arc will happen, but later than in canon. Likewise the Chunin exams, we are going to assume that they will be held elsewhere this year. There will be missions related to that...but that's for later. 
> 
> Kakashi isn't just getting the team started, like in the anime/manga. The bones of THIS Team 7 are a lot sturdier and Kakashi in turn is putting more pressure on them to not just know basic field skills but Master them. And Kakashi has a very narrow definition of what Mastered means. 
> 
> Part 2 will entail Sasuke NO and be about Team members recognizing a member has the **potential** for evil, but working together to gently steer that member back to "normal" levels of shinobi insanity. Basically, Team 7 dodges creating another Orochimaru by loving and supporting their evil genius, but also telling him NO. Firmly but gently. 
> 
> Part 3 is going to detail Specializations for the Team!!! Let's see if anyone can guess where we'll be diverging from canon there, huh? ^.^

At first Kakashi-sensei had treated them all the same. They all got the same rotating schedule of unrelenting testing and improvement. From dawn until nearly dusk or unconsciousness they trained, even when they were just eating out in the training field Kakashi would quiz them on various facts about their interests.

It was intense. But their Sensei had promised that if they survived they’d each get to start their own specialization training.

First had come the chakra control exercises. Tree walking was finished as soon as Sakura nailed it her first try, then it had been water walking that had taken a few afternoons to fully master. The occasional splash into the river was good for the soul according to Kakashi. The kids didn’t really believe him, but it certainly was the right motivation to spend all weekend and their free day together perfecting it. Learning to spar on top of the river and bounding from tree to tree had been next and resulted in no less than two trips to the hospital.

Not that either trip slowed them down, despite the looks the nurses were giving Kakashi the whole time. Sakura had taken the whole experience as an educational opportunity, grilling various medical nin on what they were doing and how and what handsignals they used. Or so he’d heard, Sasuke had accidently learned to use the Shunshin (Body flicker) but at exactly the wrong moment.

Running face first into a tree at those speeds _hurt_.

Which is probably why sensei had started them on E-rank training next. Kakashi insisted that if they mastered the basics, they’d be able to do kawarimi, henge, and shunshin without giving away their position or destination. Sasuke had never been tied to or dangled from so many places in his life. And while they had learned to eliminate the smoke of excess chakra for henge and kawarimi and Sasuke _did_ get better control of the Shunshin, he was equally certain that Kakashi had not needed to kidnap his own team for a 3-week camping trip in an ANBU training field to accomplish that.

Sasuke had three panic attacks during the whole process because Kakashi hadn’t thought to tell them that they were still safely inside Konoha at the time. To Sasuke, outside was dangerous for more than just the usual reasons. Itachi was outside. And since he had no knowledge of _why_ his psycho older brother had murdered their entire clan and given him Drain Blamage, Sasuke had no desire to be anywhere Itachi could feasibly get to.

It had taken all of Kakashi’s limited emotional depth to stop Sasuke from hyperventilating at the thought of being easily snatched up and finished off, but it had worked. Though Itachi rather embodied the same space other kids saved for bogeymen in Sasuke’s mind and it was difficult to imagine _anyone_ beating him. Kakashi was one of, if not the, greatest shinobi in the village. One who had worked with Itachi and knew how the bastard operated. Sasuke could believe that if anyone could beat Itachi, it would be Kakashi. And he did trust Kakashi to keep him safe.

The key had been to just keep repeating it until he believed it. That’s all.

The asshole still owed him all Naruto could eat sushi, providing of course that any of them could manage to walk. He decided right then that his Plan C was to sacrifice Kakashi to any demented older brothers they encountered. 

“Owww” came a pained groan, interrupting Sasuke’s backup planning.

“We know Naruto, we hurt too.” Wow, everyone was still conscious? Good for them. They had done better than he thought. 

“I can’t believe Sensei managed to exhaust _Naruto_. Not even Iruka-sensei managed that.” Sasuke marveled. He was in no better shape. E and D-rank perfection training had just ended. Their final objective had been getting to and through this gate. Sasuke was sure that the seal he’d had to decipher and defuse had been one of Iruka-sensei’s. Iruka had a very odd style, his family being from Uzushio had colored it in a way that made it distinctly different from textbook Konoha Seals, but not purely Uzushio either. Iruka was also crazy mean with his. There had been two, not one, TWO traps woven into the core of the lock seal.

“Also, since when did Iruka-sensei agree to help Kakashi-sensei torment us?” he moans. Having face planted at a run through the gate and onto the turf about half an hour ago, he still refuses to move.

Sakura, in no better condition but at least sitting up against the fence “Is that why it took you so long with that seal?! We had to defend that gate for almost an hour, so you could get through it…in a river!” The gate had been obnoxiously placed in the middle of a knee-deep stream. Why? Probably just to fuck with them. Sasuke feet were still in the slow moving, shallow stream.

“D’ttbayo! He definitely owes me ramen. One of those giant piranhas nearly got me!” Oh and the piranha that they had found in the swamp Kakashi had originally thrown them in at least once a day, had somehow managed to get into the stream while Sasuke was trying to unlock the gate seal without blowing it or them up.

“We are getting sushi first. I _earned_ that sushi damnit! Kakashi didn’t even tell me—us that we were in a training field. We spent 3 weeks drinking paranoia juice thinking every twig could be an enemy coming to off us while Kakashi’s back was turned!” Sasuke might still be just a tad salty about that. He’d recover if someone would kindly drag him to the nearest sushi bar. Please, help.

Sakura nods tiredly and even Naruto seems okay with it so long as they get food. Sasuke can here Naruto’s stomach from here. None of them manage to do much more than twitch and Sasuke is seriously considering just taking a nap here. Not like they aren’t covered in mud already anyway.

“There are my adorable Genin! See Sensei? I told you could have made that seal harder.” Their questionable leader has returned it seemed. And brought Iruka-sensei with him, though why _Kakashi_ is calling Iruka sensei is far beyond Sasuke’s computing abilities right now.

“I think the piranhas were a bit cruel on top of working through the seal, Kakashi-san. Naruto, Sakura-chan, do you need some help with those bites? And good work getting through that lock seal, Sasuke. I really thought I’d get you with the second core trap.” Iruka-sensei is Sasuke’s favorite. Not just favorite person. Iruka-sensei is just favorite.

A tired chorus of “thank yous” comes from the exhausted trio and Iruka moves in to definitely baby them a little. Sasuke realized months ago that Kakashi has a very limited emotional vocabulary and even less capacity. But he’s not upset by that, he’s probably in the same boat really. It’s more likely that Iruka is here to help cheer on Naruto and Sakura than Sasuke’s emotionally stunted ass.

Because ultimately Sasuke likes that Kakashi knew he could have handled a more difficult seal and would have put a much tougher one on there if Kakashi worked with complicated seals.

Kakashi walks over to his less nibbled-on charge, hands in his pockets, “You did good. At the end there.” It takes a few tries, but Sasuke manages to roll to his back so that Kakashi can see the look he is giving.

“We both know I could have done something more complicated.”

“Hmm, mah. We do, but Iruka-sensei didn’t.” Kakashi raises his visible brow in question. He’s hinting at something he wants Sasuke to clue in on. Why would it be important for Iruka-sensei to know how far they’d come…oh.

“You want Iruka-sensei to tell the Hokage about our training? Why?” It doesn’t make sense. Once assigned to a Jōnin, a Genin’s training was solely up to that Jōnin. The Hokage wouldn’t interfere unless there was some sort of gross incompetence reported. “*gasp* Did someone finally report you for reading porn in a restaurant?”

That gets him thumped in the forehead with Kakashi’s infamous Icha-Icha novel. Kakashi, now squatting near Sasuke’s side, gives him another look. The one that says ‘stop being cute or I’ll really swat you’, Sasuke has learned to listen to that one and contain his snark on cue.

“Is this about our specialization training? They aren’t still bitching about me learning seals, are they?” he whines for real. It was bad enough he had to listen to Neji on the few occasions they’d crossed paths again. He really didn’t want to know about the council bitching about the same damn thing. How could having a dedicated seal master, one who could copy new seals in a second mind you, be a bad thing? How? Sasuke dares anyone to try and explain that.

“Saaa, I think they’re still a little iffy about it, but having the only real Seal Master left inside Konoha saying you out smarted one of his toughest lock seals?”

Yea, Sasuke could see how that would help shut them up. It probably wasn’t the only reason though, Kakashi loved multitasking the way Sakura loved medical trivia or Naruto loved ramen. He never did anything for just one reason. He might only get one of three planned for outcomes, but there was always more in the works.

“Is that all it’s going to do Sensei?”

“Hmm, we’ll see. But I believe I owe someone sushi. Something about recompense for ‘Severe Emotional Trauma’?”

Fine, he’d let it go for now. He hurt too much to think about more complex things at the moment anyway.

“Damn right you do.” Kakashi stands up, hauling Sasuke with him. Who mostly manages to keep his feet under him, even if every last muscle started to protest in earnest. “C’mon guys. To the Nearest Sushi Bar!”

“To the nearest sushi bar, we won’t get food poisoning at!” Sakura corrects. Sasuke thinks she might be taking this Team Medic thing to the extreme. But he’ll allow it. If they pass the shabbier bars, he can make it to a really nice (i.e. expensive) place he knows isn’t too far away.

“Fine. But I am still picking our destination.” Ultimatum accepted they wobble on tired legs back into the village proper. Sakura has her arm looped through Kakashi’s by the time they hit the restaurant and Naruto is on Iruka’s back. Sasuke, determined that he pick the place has managed to slump his way down the street unaided. Mostly, he and a street sign had become more acquainted than either of them intended when he’d tripped into it.

So much sushi, Kakashi owed him SO much sushi.


	12. Mad Science: Sasuke NO

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> See chapter 11. 
> 
> Also--This is how we stop our teammates from becoming Creepy Evil Geniuses. We love and support them, but explain why the thing might not be a good idea. Then distract with something just as mentally stimulating, but less creepy-danger-y. Looking at you, Hiruzen and co. Looking at you.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't let your isolated teammate dive head first into creepy bio warfare. Hug him tight...tell him NO...then distract him with a different, but less evil problem for him to solve.

“Placement is going to be tricky…Sakura what’s the fastest way to spread a virus through the human body?” Sasuke calls over to his teammate. Sakura has her nose in a book, knowing her it’s medical related. He wonders if she’ll let him borrow some of those.

“It really depends on what you’re trying to do, Sasuke…wait, what are you trying to do?” She adds suspiciously. He makes a well-practiced ‘what?Who?me?’ gesture that he knows she isn’t buying. Somedays, at least for a few brief seconds, he misses easily led Sakura.

“Don’t even try that. Are you trying to reverse Iryō jutsu into a seal again??” She hurls the thick medical tome at him and forces him to roll away from his work.

Sakura charges and Sasuke fade’s out of her path. Knowing how far Sakura has come over the last few months, Sasuke does not want to take a hit. His own style is tailor made to deal with it though. He gives ground, ducking and weaving around her blows.

He shoves her elbow up and Shunshins behind her, only to be taken out by Naruto.

“Argh! Traitor.”

“I thought Kaka-sensei said we’re supposed to take it easy today. If he catches you guys sparring, he’s going to make us spend all day at Sakura’s!” Naruto makes a valid point. And Sakura’s place is cramped and full of adults…with morals. But Sasuke really wanted to weaponize Iryō jutsu. He could do it if someone would just _let_ him.

“And what’s wrong with my place, Naruto?” great, now she’s offended. He should just go back to making seal traps. With the right application of kawarimi he could feasibly plant one right under an opponent’s foot. “Sasuke! Are you even listening anymore?”

“Definitely not.” Honesty is the best policy with your teammates, right?

Sakura growls into her hands and then takes a deep breath. “Look you can’t go around mucking up Iryō-jutsu. Especially when you don’t intend to take the healer’s oath.”

“Can’t I just promise not to use the virulent seal on anyone important?” He coaxes. It’s just a seal that artificially reproduces gangrene at an accelerated rate…oh, he might see where she’s going with this. “Please? It’d make a great assassin technique.”

“Orochimaru.” Sakura throws into the conversation like it means something.

“Bless you.” No, bless you Uzumaki Naruto, bless you.

*snort**giggle* Both boys are on the floor before Sakura can react to Naruto’s perfectly timed joke. Unfortunately for them, they fail to dodge Sakura smacking their heads together.

“I’m serious, Orochimaru is one of the Sannin! And he was chased out of the village—” She lowers her voice into a whisper “—Ino said she heard her dad say that he was chased out by ANBU for illegal medical experiments…against Konoha natives!”

That is an unfortunate correlation. Orochimaru is a well-known seal user too, though not as proficient as his teammate Jiraiya. However, most of the detailed information isn’t available to the general public. Though if _someone_ knew, Inoichi would be a good bet.

“So, we aren’t supposed to weaponize any kind of medical related jutsu? I call bullshit.”

“Yeah, Sakura-chan. Kaka-sensei was teaching Sasuke how to make an easier version of his paralysis seal while we were training. That’s medica-lly right?”

Naruto made a valid point. And Sakura seemed stumped by it. She also had a point to, Sasuke admits begrudgingly there probably should be a limit on how far into evil genius territory he allowed himself to go.

“Okay, yes. Technically that is a medical jutsu applied to a seal…but I still think the virulent seal should be buried. DEEP.” Sakura then explains the principles of biological warfare and how they very much don’t want to start one.

“Viruses mutate?” Sasuke asks incredulously. He might have skipped over something important in his earlier readings.

“Sasuke, you gotta tear that one up! I don’t want it to eat my brains!”

“Naruto. It’s a virus-like seal…not a zombie. I didn’t even prime it yet, it’s inert. Dead-dead” he clarifies…but it might be a good idea to burn that seal after all.

Sakura ensures the death of the virulent seal with her next fun virus fact “Viruses can infect and cause inflammation of the brain and lining of the brain, oh! And the spinal cord. Which is why it would be **very** bad to _make_ a chakra-based virus designed to destroy tissue.”

Very reluctantly, he retreats from the scolding and picks up his notes on the virulent seal. Turning back to his teammates, he channels enough fire molded chakra to turn them to ash. “There, all my hard work, ashes.”

Naruto hugs him. “Thanks for not being evil Sasuke.”

“Yea, Yea. Just don’t tell anyone.” He replies, making Sakura giggle.

“Your secret is safe with us Sasuke. Now come here, I’ll show you which nerve endings to target with the Paralysis Seal sensei showed you.” That was at least a decent conciliation prize. “You should also be able to hit these with some weapons. Your aim is so good you can probably learn some of the advanced senbon techniques.”

“Could probably add some chakra storage seals to them too…even if you missed the nerve, some electricity in the wrong place would still cause problems. It’d be better to engrave the seal _on_ the senbon though.”

Sakura agreed heartily. Clearly glad that she had diverted Team 7’s resident mad scientist onto a safer path. Well, safer for Konoha…except, maybe, that Neji guy...


	13. Eternal Rivals is Code for Something...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kakashi gets lost in his thoughts and worries...and Gai does what he does best-he drags Kakashi to a better place. 
> 
> Slight warning(?) for Kakashi being an understanding, but emotionally stunted Older Brother/Weird Uncle figure to Team 7. He means well, he just misses some key nuances once in a while. That's why he has Gai...for nuance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey again! I'd like to thank everyone who left a comment or a kudo on this work so far...Thank you. It means a lot that so many people like this story. Especially since my update schedule is non-existent (that whole disappears for months then shows up with multiple chapters is probably a theme, just fyi) 
> 
> About this chapter...it took so long because I simply could not decide what to do with Sakura. I changed my mind like 10 times. I still have ideas for like 3 different AUs of my own freaking story just based on what specialty Sakura takes. 
> 
> Seriously...it was a hard choice. But for the main story we are going with Hatake-Haruno Sakura...medic and super strong badass. So that's a Taijutsu using front line Medic. She's not going to be running any hospitals during the war. She's a self healing juggernaut. 
> 
> In the NEXT Chapter you will see more hints of what the boys will be doing.

“Yosh, my Eternal Rival. I’ve been looking for you.” Might Gai announced his arrival at the memorial stone with considerably less volume than his greetings usually used. Kakashi was grateful in the moment that Gai always knew when he needed quiet and when he needed to be loudly annoyed into being human again. It was fortunate that Gai was so adept in speaking Kakashi-is-dealing-with-something, because Kakashi’s brain to mouth filter couldn’t run after dark.

“Go away.” He doesn’t mean it; he could actually use the advice of someone who is a hell of a lot better at emotions than himself.

“HA, not a chance My Rival. Not a chance…” Gai vaults up to sit on top of one of the posts in front of the stone. Kakashi can hear him settle in as he tries to organize his thoughts into something understandable. “What brings you out here, Kakashi? It’s been a while since I’ve found you here on my pre-dawn run.”

It had been a while. He’s been so busy with his team that he hasn’t had nearly as much time visit the memorial and get lost in what-ifs. But he needed time to think tonight, he need time to dwell on the what-ifs. What he is contemplating doing is going to kick over several anthills and he wants to be sure that he’s choosing the right path. There’s a lot of variables to his plan though…the most important ones being how Sasuke and Naruto will take the news.

His team is close now. They not only work extremely well together in the field; they spend most of their off hours together these days too. What he wants to will better for them as a whole and apart, but there’s a possibility that by giving Sakura this opportunity he’ll be estranging the other two. The one thing he doesn’t want to jeopardize is what they could become _together_, supporting each other, because that team is going to be something else. Something Konoha hasn’t seen in a generation, maybe more.

“Rival?” Jerked out of his spiraling thoughts again, Kakashi realizes that having Gai here is probably for the best. Gai would understand not just the problem itself, but Kakashi’s caution in committing to it.

Taking a deep breath “I’m…going to offer to adopt Sakura. The old way. Full clan rights.” Chakra adoption is an old tradition that might still fail, but Sakura’s come a long way in the last 6 months and he believes she now has the strength to do this.

That she will benefit the most from the Hatake chakra, is obvious. The ultra-dense white chakra has a lot more power per ounce than anyone else’s does. And Sakura has the control to use it to its full potential and with a naturally smaller reserve than her team, the need for it.

Gai takes his time responding, so much so that Kakashi can’t help but look over his shoulder at him, trying to gauge how his announcement has been received. Gai would surely tell him if he was about to fuck everything up. He knows Gai would.

“Hmm, I admit it makes sense when I think about it. Sakura-chan has much Fire in her and she has come a long way in her Taijutsu. But she will never have the chakra reserves her teammates do. You are right, the Hatake chakra would benefit her greatly…” Kakashi senses a ‘but’ lingering in there.

“But I must admit Rival. I had thought you would be drawn to Young Sasuke more.” There it is. “Why I found him out here overworking himself, just the other night. He reminds me of a very young you.” There’s a lot of truth in that. Sasuke might devote himself to Fūinjutsu instead of Ninjutsu like Kakashi prefers, but they both have the same manic sort of obsessiveness to get something right. And to work on it tirelessly until they have just so. They are also both horribly sarcastic little shits.

Gai continues over Kakashi’s thoughts “He was testing a seal that stored sunlight, but released it steadily instead of all at once. I came to check on him when experiment #2 failed, I think. Here, I was given the Great Honor to be the first recipient of a working Sunlight Seal.” Gai flicks an origami star at Kakashi’s head. He catches it and turns it over and over to inspect it. It’s covered with an intricate design in what’s become the familiar geometric pattern Sasuke arranges his active seals in.

He taps the clearly marked activation control and watches as the star begins to glow with a soft light. There’s no heat to the paper, but the light feels warm. Kakashi isn’t sure what Sasuke intends this to be for, but it is pretty. “Are you trying to convince me I’m making the wrong choice?” he asks.

“No, as I said it does make sense to choose Sakura. Sasuke may be more like you, but he also has definite plans for his future. We spoke for some time after he found the right combination of seal work for his stars. He is very focused on his craft and Judging but what chakra he already has, I don’t see how your white chakra would benefit him much.” Gai chuckles a bit “He is one of the most Unique Uchiha I have ever met—er…has he spoken to you about his family?”

Kakashi slumps, because yes, he and Sasuke has spoken about the Uchiha and Kakashi was certain that the young shinobi was too determined to rewrite not just who the Uchiha are but what they stand for. Itachi had left a lasting impression on Sasuke in more ways than one. Nothing riled the boy up like having his accomplishments “dismissed” as talent. Sasuke worked hard at what he did. Sometimes too hard and a lot of it had to do with how much he didn’t want to turn into his brother…or father…or generations of other Uchiha whose genius on and off the field of battle had served to isolate them and their clan more and more.

And then there was a month ago when Sasuke and Naruto had stumbled upon the Uchiha clan records…that had _not_ been a fun night for anyone. Sasuke was, understandably, furious about what had happened to him. The boy still had nightmares, one of which had likely led to his testing seals at o’ fuck-thirty in the morning. But he had been incandescent at what his clan had been doing to generations of Uchiha kids.

“Yes, he has a slight…_thing_ about being compared to his family.” That was really a massive understatement and Gai’s eyebrows are trying to judge him for it. He can feel these things, so he breaks down and tells Gai about it.

Sasuke had found the Uchiha’s secret bunker full of rather traumatizing history in another insomnia fueled adventure last month. Honestly, Kakashi was severely disappointed in the supposed genius clan that it wasn’t:

  1. Hidden better, three Genin had found it in the old shrine Sasuke hated.
  2. Sealed in a way that would stop a 12-year-old.

In a clan full of geniuses, how had no one thought to make the seals stronger or far more intricate? According to Sakura the seals guarding the entrance had been dismantled within 10 minutes. Kakashi was certain that meant _he_ could have gotten through them and Fūinjutsu wasn’t even close to being his wheelhouse.

But no, the great Uchiha Clan knew best…thus, he had been woken up by several Naruto’s knocking loudly at his door at 3 AM because of that wonderful discovery. And Sasuke hadn’t just been distraught, he’d been in full meltdown mode. One that ended in him setting fire to every last scroll, journal, and ledger he’d found.

He couldn’t blame the boy, learning about the Curse of Hatred that plagued the Uchiha wasn’t something that brought Kakashi any joy and they weren’t even his family. Finding out that their entire way of life, Kekkei Genkai included, was based off of self-interest (the well-known Uchiha Obsessive Tendencies) and personal trauma (Code named “Watch Your Friends and Loved Ones Die for Fun and Profit”).

And that historically every time someone, cough-Senju-cough, had reached out in an attempt to help them end the cycle and help them become a part of something larger (ideally) than their own interest or clan…the Uchiha had done something-as Sasuke had put it-“royally fucked up” in response.

It was to be determined if Sasuke’s rather emotional melt down and subsequent obliteration of historical scrolls on the Sharingan and its history would work out…but it had at least made Sasuke calm down. The bonfire had been nice too and Kakashi was all about multi-tasking so the added team bonding they got in that night had really brought the team to a new level of trust. Sasuke was more resolved than ever to be everything his family had never been before. 

One thing was for certain, if he had put Sakura in charge of protecting something, she wouldn’t have ignored the possibility of some idiot-genius breaking the seal on something important just to see if he could.

She had spent way too much time with Naruto AND Sasuke to be so careless. His precious student, was sensible and rarely had to be told a rule or technique twice to get it. AND she didn’t immediately try to turn the technique inside out (Sasuke) or “improve it” in any way that resulted in major environmental damage (Naruto). She was determined and goal oriented in a way that spoke to Kakashi as much as his personal trauma and sarcasm did with Sasuke.

Sakura was lining up to be one of the youngest shinobi to master medical ninjutsu. She had absorbed the theories, additional biology, and mastered the necessary control in huge swathes. Her memory was astounding. Without the Sharingan, Kakashi still possessed a damn good one, but Sakura’s was better. Literally the only way it could be improved was with a Sharingan. Lacking the obsessions of most of her female school mates poured herself into being a dedicated medic. Going so far as to impress him with her knowledge of basic field medicine before a month was out.

He supposes he has the elder Haruno to thank for that. Dr. Haruno certainly encouraged her at every turn. But no matter how intelligent she was, she still had a heart as well. If he gave her the advantage of the dense White Chakra, then should could afford to get into the thick of it alongside her teammates and still have it in her to heal injuries. She had the control and the will to use it.

So long as the chakra took, Sakura would be as well balanced as the boys.

That was it. Balance. He needed to make the team even.

“Ah, I see you’ve finally stopped arguing with yourself.” Damn Gai, for knowing things and being…himself.

“Balance. I’m giving Sakura something. Something important. I need to give the boys something of equal value.” Gai nods along, but his eyebrows are talking again. Kakashi can see a thought forming and isn’t disappointed when Gai speaks again. Gai could make decisions quickly on the field, but always took his time when asked elsewhere. Like each question posed to him had weight.

“Rival, I—think maybe the gift your students would appreciate the most is, perhaps, something of yourself.” Of himself? That didn’t make any sense. “No. Kakashi listen. You are giving Young Sakura a Most Beautiful gift! Your Family Name still means much to this village. Don’t make that face.” He has one eye visible…what face? “It will provide opportunities, but it also marks her as being Important to You.”

Kakashi suddenly gets what Gai is talking about. Adopting Sakura is the right move tactically, because it evens the team out. The boys might, but he suspects won’t, be upset that Sakura gets a new toy and they don’t. He has more faith in them than that…but he hadn’t considered that either would be upset because it meant Sakura (who already has family) is getting more family.

“I can’t adopt all of them. Sasuke may not _like_ his family name right now, but I know he’s determined to change things about it. He can’t do that if he becomes a Hatake. Naruto…I don’t even know how much Naruto knows about his family…he has…there’s so much I can’t say.” Kakashi suspects that Sasuke knows a great deal about the Uzumaki and several Yondaime related secrets he isn’t supposed to know. If Naruto had ever asked…Sasuke would have told him everything…because Sasuke had never been bound by the same oath as the Shinobi of the older generations.

But due to whatever fucked up Genjutsu Itachi had used on the boy, he _knew_ things. Itachi was an intelligent child who, as ANBU, had been read in on Naruto’s real parents as well as the Yondaime and Kushina’s relationship. If he’d left so much as hint of that in Sasuke’s memories…

There’s an idea forming in the back of his mind and unknown to him Gai is smiling like a loon behind him. Familiar with Kakashi’s posture as the Plotting-Stage-of-Future-Mayhem and finding that his Beloved Rival is most definitely out of his funk, Gai takes his leave after giving his Most Heartfelt wishes for Kakashi’s success. Translated into something other people would understand…he hugs Kakashi hard enough to lift him off the ground before going to finish his run.

Kakashi pats his arm, distractedly in the Hippest way. Truly he is Blessed to be part of Such a Beautiful and Manly Rivalry. He is also counting this assistance as a point in his favor on the scoreboard of that Rivalry. He will of course tell Kakashi later, after he is done plotting.


	14. The Results of Training

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A brief glimpse into what happens when Team 7 actually functions as a unit instead of a raging disaster. 
> 
> This is basically to catch you up to the point I can introduce the Wave Arc. Who's ready for that mess to be sorted outed?

“Shannaro!” Sakura breaks through the hard-packed dirt where Sasuke had just been standing. She’s quick to draw her tanto to fend off the thrust of Sasuke’s 3-sided short sword. Sasuke was much faster than his teammate even with her new chakra settled and her reserves full. But if she caught him, Sakura could break him and his sword in half easily.

Their spars were always like this now, in the 2 weeks they had abstained from missions so that Sakura could fully integrate the Hatake chakra. Sakura could fight for just as long as her team now, but only Kakashi had any hope of catching Sasuke in a race. So now, it has become a fast-paced dance between Sasuke’s graceful speed and Fūinjutsu, Naruto’s unpredictable traps and Suiton, and Sakura’s ever-increasing physical strength and fierce intelligence.

Sakura refuses to be baited into chasing after him as he blurs into a partial shunshin. She turns looking for another opponent. One day she’ll be able to sink into the ground just like her Sensei can and then Naruto and Sasuke are going eat dirt.

“Suiton: Suidan!” She barely has time to duck Naruto’s water bullet as it careens past. It soaks her hair as it sheds water, but thankfully doesn’t connect. Naruto can spit those out fast enough that it’s like taking a watermelon to the face. No one wants to get hit with that.

She’s saved from further salvos by Sasuke dispelling the clone who’d fired at her as he whips his sword through the other three guarding it. Sakura and Sasuke have gotten pretty good at telling the clones from the real Naruto, but Sasuke is far less careful about who he stabs in their spars. She is just grateful that Sensei won’t let him sharpen that thing.

Clones dispelled Sasuke has enough time to meet her charge. Except, he doesn’t pull up the sword…It’s too late to stop herself from charging the disguised Naruto, so she does as Kakashi would and doubles down on her attack while berating herself for not noticing how wildly “Sasuke” had been swinging. She should have caught that.

Naruto can absorb the most damage out of all of them, even Sensei. Sasuke would have seen her slamming through Doton hands signs and booked it, because Sasuke rarely faces a problem head-on. Naruto on the other stays right where he is and tries to out pace her signs with another Suiton.

Her “Doton: Sazereshi” technique traps Naruto up to his knees in gravel, giving her just enough time to sock him in the face. It’s a spar, so she only sends him flying and refrains from using her full strength. It won’t put him down for good but it’ll give her time to find Sasuke. Who’s being too quiet.

Sakura has every right to worry about what Sasuke is up to as he is actively plotting to win this spar. Having lost the last one to Sakura’s surprisingly strong earth affinity he’s been practicing his own lightening affinity to combat it. Kakashi-sensei had been happy to show him how, probably in a bid to broaden Sasuke’s techniques.

Sasuke uses it a bit differently than Kakashi might have anticipated him doing. He was dead serious about learning to engrave those senbon and since he’s been practicing his version of the suiton—the Crawling Seal Technique—his ability to move his seals around and onto targets is twice as fast at it used to be and he is so close to being able to do it without hand signs.

Sasuke takes all his chameleon seals and wraps them around the senbon in his left hand. His Sharingan active and alert for the slightest movement, he sees the exact moment that Sakura and Naruto are perfectly distracted—and throws.

Naruto is already down, thanks to Sakura, but as she turns to scan the surrounding trees, she is given little time to figure out the odd-looking ripple in the air that slices towards her. Sasuke hits 2 out of three marks. Sakura’s initial flinch makes the third miss. “Surrender or be electrocuted.”

He watches Sakura try to figure out if she can withstand at least two waves of lightening chakra. Her earth-based chakra is no match for the lightening and Sasuke knows that she doesn’t know any jutsu strong enough to just overpower the electrical surge. She might be a Hatake now, but she’s not Sensei yet.

A begrudging “Fine” is probably the best he can hope for, he has her dead to rights, but before he can gloat or more importantly try out his new his Ink shot on Naruto. Kakashi appears in a flurry of leaves from wherever he’d been hiding to call the match.

“Yo.” He gets a happy round of greetings and Naruto rejoins them, winding up a suspicious amount of ninja wire, as Sasuke removes the senbon from Sakura’s arm.

“Ow! Careful.” Sakura complains over Naruto’s enthusiastic greeting. Sasuke rolls his eyes, she’s way more pissed she didn’t see the senbon coming, than she is actually hurt. Though _his_ arm is certainly smarting after he tells her that.

“Next time—I’m shocking you.” He snarks as he pulls the other one out.

Kakashi sighs and tells him to stop stabbing and/or threatening his teammates. “She started it! Needs time to adjust my ass.” Sakura very obviously had her new chakra well in hand by week 2 with it. They should be back to doing missions by now in Sasuke’s opinion.

“Enough.” Kakashi sighs tiredly. Sounding more and more like the kids aren’t the only one who needs to get out of Konoha for a while. “Today’s match is a draw between Naruto and Sasuke.” They boys are a bit put out, both had been practicing new techniques in the last week and had wanted to test them out, but they’ll both take a free point easily enough. “Maa, don’t worry you can test them when we get back.” Score!

Naruto asks in a rush if that means they finally get to do another C-rank and can it please be an actual C-rank and not just escorting merchants through the (intentionally) confusing wooded paths into Konoha. “Cause those are so boring, Kaka-sensei! Dattebayo.”

C-ranks were either High or Low. Low ones were mostly close-range escort duty. High ones at least meant not being able to see Konoha for a few days. If they were lucky, Sensei managed snag one that went somewhere outside of fire country. Escorting merchants was boring, but it was better than wailing on each other all afternoon.

“Stop whining, Naruto. Sensei will let us know when we’re ready.” Sakura huffs, like she’s not ready to do something besides D-ranks and team training. He certainly is, but he keeps his opinion to himself. His teammates are already doing an excellent job of harassing their Sensei. That’s really all he could ask for.

Giving Sasuke a look that says he knows exactly why Sasuke looks so smug, Kakashi calls the team to a semblance of order. “Listen up, we do have a mission—yes Naruto it is a C-rank, no it’s a ‘good one’ I promise—we’re going on an extended escort mission to Wave Country. Pack for several weeks and as always…” he leads them.

“Expect the unexpected” Chimes Sakura, correctly.

“Look underneath the underneath!” Shouts Naruto, incorrect and joyful with it.

“Don’t load for boar when you can load for Jōnin?” Sasuke asks cheekily.

They watch as Kakashi has to take a second and ask several Kami for the strength necessary to Not kill the boys today. “You know what, Sakura wins todays match. She gets to pick out dinner.”

The loud “Booooo!” from Naruto drowns out some of Sakura’s cheering but not Sasuke’s vehement refusal to change the official score. “No, I refuse to bow to this blatant show of nepotism. Get bent, pinky.”

“I’ll bend you—in **half** you twig!”

“You aren’t fast enough” he challenges happily. Smug with the knowledge that his Shunshin is getting faster by the day and that no other Genin could hope to touch him.

“Naruto, I’ll pick Ichiraku’s if you help me catch Sasuke.” “DEAL! Kage bushin no jutsu!” But Naruto could certainly outlast or overwhelm him.

“Fuuuuuuck”

Kakashi is left alone in training ground 7, wondering if Mebune-san will have enough food to feed him tonight. Then he chastises himself. Mebune has taken to being a part of a ninja clan in stride. She always has spare food around and routinely plans to feed a small army…his decision to adopt Sakura had some exceedingly unforeseen, and yet, awesome benefits to it. He had gained not only an heir and a younger sister in Sakura, but her parents had in turn decided that this meant they had a son.

Mebune was definitely where Sakura got her stubbornness from too, because no matter what protest Kakashi used, Mebune wasn’t hearing it. (Not that he tried hard…steady home cooked meals were to be cherished) But, _somehow_ Hatake-Haruno Mebune had inserted herself as head of the household and what she said happened. Well, unless it was a shinobi matter. Mebune knew her limits, but she allowed no argument about young shinobi getting out of chores or skipping meals to train. Somehow, Kakashi had gotten included in that.

His own fault he supposes. Had he not left the Hatake Compound to nature and ruin he could have set up the formerly Haruno family there and kept his nice quiet apartment. That…hadn’t happened for several reasons. Thankfully, Team 7 was a tight knit unit and one of them was trying to make a drastic change in his clan’s reputation…and happened to have a best friend (also on the team) who had an army of clones at his disposal.

So, thanks to Sasuke and Naruto’s suspiciously well-timed arrival at the dilapidated Hatake Manor…the Hatake Family now lived—dogs and all—within the Uchiha compound whose houses had all been sealed routinely against rot and wear…unlike another house…

Kakashi wasn’t going to protest though. His Ninkin might mutiny if he did, they had an actual yard to roam now and no one to bother them, Inuzuka or well-meaning civilian. Kakashi couldn’t even say he hated it; it had been a long time since he had anything close to this. Besides, it’d be mean to let all the effort the boys went through to make the Hatake feel welcomed.

Not only had they cleaned out what used to be the elder’s house, attached to the main house by covered walkways and nicely separated by the (now) ink-covered dojo and a garden, the archway above the main gate now sported a sakura bloom with the Hatake crest carved into it in Sasuke’s neat hand. It kept the Uchiha fan and Uzumaki swirl company. A bold declaration of who lived there and who was welcome.

Kakashi imagined the headache that had given the council…knowing that three of the smallest clans with the biggest names had banded together under one roof…and smiled. Those old coots were probably going to get ulcers worrying about what they were all in for.

There’s a distant explosion, awfully close to town, that draws him out of his thoughts and makes him drop the evil grin. He should probably stop the kids from blowing each other up…why they think they are allowed to use exploding tags outside of training when he’d already banned them _in_ training is a mystery…and one that’s going to cost three Genin with too much energy at least 50 laps around the village. Each.


End file.
